Comparison

Simplify Notes vs Noteleaf

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

Head to head
About

Simplify Notes

Features
Read full description

CAPTURE EVERY IDEA. ORGANIZE EVERY SUBJECT. Simplify Notes brings handwritten notes, notebooks and PDFs together in one calm, organized place. Write naturally with Apple Pencil, create notebooks for every subject, organize your work into folders and keep important ideas easy to find. Whether you’re studying for an exam, attending a lecture or planning a personal project, everything stays clear and connected. BUILT FOR THE WAY YOU STUDY β€’ Create unlimited notebooks β€’ Write and draw naturally β€’ Use Apple Pencil on iPad β€’ Import and work with PDFs β€’ Organize notebooks into folders β€’ Add images to your notes β€’ Mark important content with tags and favorites β€’ Search and find notes quickly β€’ Export your work as PDF β€’ Choose from multiple paper formats β€’ Keep courses, projects and ideas together LESS CLUTTER. MORE FOCUS. Simplify Notes helps you reduce the mental load of scattered files, loose pages and disconnected ideas. Give every course, subject or project its own place, so you can focus on learning instead of searching. PERFECT FOR β€’ College and university students β€’ Lecture and class notes β€’ Exam preparation β€’ Research and assignments β€’ Engineering and MBA studies β€’ Personal projects β€’ Everyday ideas and planning No account required. No subscription. Just open the app and start writing. Your ideas deserve a place you’ll actually remember.

About

Noteleaf

Features
Read full description

Noteleaf is a handwriting notebook that feels like real looseleaf paper. Write freely with Apple Pencil, rearrange pages, choose from templates, and make it your own. β–  Key Features Looseleaf Feel Pages can be reordered freely, just like real looseleaf paper. Move, insert, or remove pages to organize your notes the way you want. Handwriting with Apple Pencil Write naturally with Apple Pencil. Supports Scribble. Turn on Apple Pencil-Only Mode in Settings to prevent accidental palm touches. Ruler Tool Draw perfectly straight lines at any angle using the on-screen ruler β€” no physical ruler needed. 10 Page Templates Choose from blank, lined, wide-ruled, grid, dot grid, Cornell, and more. Mix templates freely within a single notebook. 16 Leather Cover Colors Personalize each notebook with a color that suits you β€” 16 rich leather-style covers to choose from. PDF Export Export any notebook as a PDF to share or archive your notes. Notebook Sharing Share notebooks with others in the app's native format. β–  One-Time Purchase Noteleaf is free to download. One in-app purchase unlocks: ・ Unlimited notebooks (free tier: 1 notebook) ・ PDF export ・ Notebook sharing All handwriting features are available for free. No subscription. No account required.

Screenshots

Simplify Notes2 screens
Noteleaf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simplify Notes at none against Noteleaf's 1. Noteleaf's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Noteleaf sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Simplify Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Simplify Notes versus Noteleaf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplify NotesNoteleaf
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 6 days
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size13 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMario Guzmanmasafumi matsumoto

In-app purchases

None

Simplify Notes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Noteleaf

One-time1
  • Premium Unlock$9.99

Questions

Is Simplify Notes free?
Simplify Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Noteleaf free?
Noteleaf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Simplify Notes or Noteleaf have ads?
Simplify Notes shows ads; Noteleaf does not.
Which is updated more often, Simplify Notes or Noteleaf?
Simplify Notes ships an update every 6 days, and Noteleaf every 6 days. Most recently, Simplify Notes was updated on September 11, 2026 and Noteleaf on September 21, 2026.

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