Retro Notes vs Smart Lists
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Retro Notes
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Retro Notes turns everyday note-taking into something you actually enjoy. Beautifully designed with vintage-inspired themes, it combines the simplicity of classic journals with the power of a modern organizer — all on your iPhone and iPad. WRITE FREELY, ORGANIZE EFFORTLESSLY Create notes with rich text blocks, checklists, and tags. Organize everything into folders and nested subfolders. On iPad, use full notebooks for long-form journaling and creative projects. Pin your favorites for quick access, and find anything instantly with powerful global search across all your notes, folders, tasks, and blocks. A BLOCK FOR EVERYTHING Retro Notes goes beyond plain text. Each note is built from blocks you mix and match: • Text — Write with customizable per-note fonts. Choose from 15 beautiful typefaces including Typewriter, Georgia, Baskerville, Futura, and more. • Tasks — Interactive checklists to track your to-dos right inside your notes. • Photos & Videos — Capture memories with images and video clips. Trim videos before adding them. • Voice Memos — Record audio notes when typing isn't an option. • Locations — Pin places to your notes with interactive maps. • URLs — Save and preview web links with one tap. • Scanner — Scan documents directly into your notes using your camera. • PDF — Attach and view documents natively. • Countdown — Set visual countdown timers for events, deadlines, and milestones. • Music — Search and embed your favorite tracks from a massive catalog. • Movies — Log films with posters, ratings, runtime, and director info. • Books — Track your reading with covers, authors, and page counts. • Flights — Look up real flights with route maps, terminals, aircraft details, and live status. IMPORT FROM ANYWHERE Use the Share Extension to send text, links, images, and checklists from Browser, Mail, Messages, or any app directly into Retro Notes. Content is automatically parsed into the right blocks — URLs become link blocks, bullet points become tasks, and images get their own photo blocks. No copy-pasting needed. RETRO THEMES THAT FEEL JUST RIGHT Customize your experience with handcrafted themes that give your notes real personality. Switch between classic, dark, and colorful palettes — every element from the toolbar to the blocks adapts to your chosen theme. WIDGET SUPPORT Pin your most important note to a home screen widget for instant access. See your content at a glance without even opening the app. TIME CAPSULE Seal a note and lock it until a future date — a week, a month, or a year from now. When the time comes, it unlocks automatically. Write letters to your future self, save birthday messages, or preserve memories for later. PRIVACY FIRST Your notes stay on your device. Retro Notes uses no cloud accounts, no sign-ups, and no tracking. What you write is yours alone. BUILT FOR iPHONE AND iPAD Fully optimized for both platforms. On iPad, take advantage of larger screens with the notebook editor for long-form writing, side-by-side organization, and an expanded block canvas. AVAILABLE IN 7 LANGUAGES Use Retro Notes in English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Turkish, or Simplified Chinese. The entire interface adapts to your language preference. Privacy Policy: https://retro-notes-privacy-ege-aybek-dev.netlify.app/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Smart Lists
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SmartLists keeps your tasks and lists in one place—without sign‑ups or clutter. CREATE LISTS YOUR WAY • Make as many lists as you need: Groceries, Work, Errands, Goals, or anything else. • Pick a color for each list (blue, green, purple, pink, and more) so you can spot them at a glance. • Rename and recolor lists anytime. MANAGE TASKS EASILY • Add tasks with a tap and send them in with the keyboard. • Tap to mark tasks done or undo with one tap. • Edit or delete tasks with simple swipe actions. • Completed tasks stay in the list with a clear checkmark so you can see what’s done. FIND & STAY ORGANIZED • Search your lists by name so you never lose a list. • See how many lists and total tasks you have at a glance. • Deleted lists go to History—restore them or delete forever when you’re sure. YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS • Lists are stored on your device by default. No account required. • Optional cloud sync may be available in the future for those who want it. DESIGNED FOR IPHONE • Clean, native interface with smooth animations. • Light and dark mode—switch whenever you like. • Built with SwiftUI for a fast, reliable experience. Whether you’re managing daily errands, work items, or personal goals, SmartLists keeps things simple and visible. Download and start your first list in seconds.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Smart Lists at none against Retro Notes's 4. Retro Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Retro Notes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Smart Lists asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Retro Notes | Smart Lists |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | EGE AYBEK | zaid farouqi |
In-app purchases
Retro Notes
- Weekly$0.997 Days
- Weekly$1.997 Days
- Monthly$4.991 Month
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- Annual$39.991 Year
Smart Lists
No in-app purchases





