Comparison

InStash vs AppStash

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

InStash

Features
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InStash = Instant + Stash The desktop sticky note experience you love, now with the sync you need. WHY INSTASH? macOS Stickies is great โ€” notes float on your desktop, always visible, always reminding. But it has two fatal flaws: โ€ข No sync โ€” Switch Mac or grab your phone, your notes are gone. โ€ข No middle ground โ€” Notes are either on desktop or deleted, nothing in between. InStash fixes both. THE EDGE DECK Enough notes and the desktop gets crowded. The deck tucks them to the side of your screen as a slim strip of tabs: โ€ข Move the pointer close and it fans out โ€” click once to edit right there, no need to drag a window back โ€ข Drag tabs to reorder them, pin the ones you reach for most โ€ข Every note switches between a floating window and the deck, and which form it is in syncs over iCloud โ€ข Put the deck on the left or the right, and tune tab size, style and labels to taste CORE PHILOSOPHY "Seeing equals reminding." Unlike Notion or Apple Notes that hide your thoughts in drawers, desktop sticky notes force you to see them. This spatial memory is irreplaceable. InStash preserves this magic while adding what's missing. InStash โ€” Your ideas, instantly stashed, universally synced.

About

AppStash

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The App Store is full of apps you downloaded once, forgot, and can't bring yourself to delete โ€” because one day you might need them again. AppStash ends the hesitation. Before you uninstall an app, save it to AppStash with one line of purpose. Your iPhone stays light, and your "maybe later" apps stay findable โ€” not by name (which you'll forget), but by what you need the m for. SAVE IN ONE STEP Share an app's App Store page to AppStash, jot down why you might need it again, done. Icon, link, and metadata are saved automatically. FIND BY PURPOSE, NOT NAME "That app that scans receipts." Search your notes โ€” receipts, trips, moving, tax season โ€” and the app comes right ba ck. Reinstall with one tap. GROUP INTO COLLECTIONS Keep apps in scenes like Business Trips, Moving, or Travel Abroad. One app can live in several collections. YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR DATA Everything stays on your device โ€” no account, no tracking, no servers. Export your archive anytime. Made for spring cleaning your iPhone without the fear of losing track.

Screenshots

InStash4 screens
AppStash4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: InStash at none against AppStash's 1. AppStash's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. AppStash sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. InStash asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

InStash ships an update monthly, AppStash every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
InStash versus AppStash: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInStashAppStash
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size4 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeryifan z้œ‡็ง‘ ็Ž‹

In-app purchases

None

InStash

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

AppStash

One-time1
  • AppStash Pro$2.99

Questions

Is InStash free?
InStash is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AppStash free?
AppStash is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do InStash or AppStash have ads?
Neither InStash nor AppStash shows ads.
Which is updated more often, InStash or AppStash?
InStash ships an update monthly, and AppStash every 4 days. Most recently, InStash was updated on October 31, 2026 and AppStash on October 26, 2026.

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