# Simplify Notes vs Notely

The clearest difference is rating: Simplify Notes at 5.0 against Notely's 4.4. Notely's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Simplify Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notely has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Simplify Notes ships an update weekly, Notely every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplify Notes | Notely |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplify-notes-pdf-notebook/id6758640857/reviews)** | [4.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notely-notes-and-pdf-app/id6760985471/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | — | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 13 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mario Guzman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874125399) | [JUSTIN WEI SUN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874016949) |

## What reviewers say

### Simplify Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplify-notes-pdf-notebook/id6758640857)

Capture and organize handwritten notes, notebooks, and PDFs in one place. Create unlimited notebooks, draw naturally with Apple Pencil, and import PDFs to study, plan, or research. Reduce clutter and enhance focus with a calm, organized system.

**Highlights:** Unlimited notebooks, Natural handwriting and drawing, Apple Pencil support, PDF import and annotation, Folder organization, Add images and tags, Quick search and PDF export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Notely

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notely-notes-and-pdf-app/id6760985471)

This app offers a private and flexible digital notebook for handwriting, typed notes, and PDF annotation. Convert handwriting to editable text, draw with precision tools, and organize your work with folders and backups. Keep ideas accessible without an account or internet connection.

**Highlights:** Handwriting to editable text conversion, Precision drawing tools, PDF annotation and markup, Organized library with folders, On-device search, Portable backups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplify Notes free?

Simplify Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Notely free?

Notely is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simplify Notes or Notely?

Simplify Notes is rated higher. Simplify Notes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Notely averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.

### Do Simplify Notes or Notely have ads?

Simplify Notes shows ads; Notely does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simplify Notes or Notely?

Simplify Notes ships an update weekly, and Notely every 4 days. Most recently, Simplify Notes was updated on October 16, 2026 and Notely on October 19, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*