Beside vs TabNotes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Beside
This app simulates the presence of someone working nearby to enhance focus, using ambient sounds and visual cues. It offers various scenes and a focus timer to aid productivity without requiring cameras or personal accounts. Track your progress and build focus streaks with this completely free tool.
- Simulated ambient presence
- Multiple handcrafted focus scenes
- Customizable focus timer
- Progress tracking and streaks
- Offline functionality
- No camera or account required
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Someone's here. Let's focus. Beside creates the feeling of someone working next to you -- without cameras, strangers, or interruptions. Body doubling is a proven ADHD and productivity technique, and now it's free on your iPhone. No account. No subscription. No paywall. Ever. HOW IT WORKS Open the app. Pick a scene. Start focusing. That's it. Each scene surrounds you with ambient sounds and subtle visual cues -- a coffee cup steaming nearby, pages turning, someone typing at the next desk. You never see another person, but you feel their presence. That's body doubling. 6 HANDCRAFTED SCENES Cozy Room -- Rain on the window, warm lighting, a desk lamp glowing nearby Coffee Shop -- Espresso machine hum, gentle chatter, someone typing beside you Library -- Whisper-quiet, pages turning, the calm focus of a study hall Lo-fi Room -- Chill beats, a companion at their desk, late-night creative energy Night Owl -- City lights, cricket sounds, your late-night study partner Garden Morning -- Birds, a gentle breeze, someone reading next to you FOCUS TIMER Set a session for 15, 25, or 45 minutes -- or go infinite. Lock your phone or switch apps and your scene keeps playing, with controls on the Lock Screen. A gentle notification lets you know when time's up. No pressure. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See your focus history on a calendar. Build streaks. Watch your focus time grow over days and weeks. WHY BESIDE? - 100% free -- No ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchases - No camera -- Your camera is never used. Period. - No account required -- Open the app and start focusing immediately - No strangers -- Ambient presence, not video calls with random people - No scheduling -- Focus whenever you want, not when a session is available - Works offline -- No internet needed once downloaded - Dark mode -- Easy on the eyes, day or night - Private -- No data collection, no analytics, no trackers BUILT FOR - ADHD adults who use body doubling to get things done - Students studying alone in their room - Remote workers missing the presence of coworkers - Anyone who focuses better when someone else is around Body doubling shouldn't cost $7-40/month. It shouldn't require a camera. And it shouldn't mean scheduling sessions with strangers. Beside is focus, simplified.
TabNotes
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TabNotes is a powerful note-taking app designed for long, structured writing. Organize everything inside one note using color tabs, smart checklists, and built-in formatting tools. If you’ve ever wished Apple Notes had tabs — TabNotes is for you. Features - Create sections inside notes using custom color tabs - Switch between sections instantly - Smart checklists for structured task tracking - Bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough formatting - Insert photos directly into notes - Clean, distraction-free writing experience TabNotes was built out of a real need: Managing hundreds of notes without losing structure. If you write songs, track projects, plan ideas, or run side hustles — TabNotes helps you stay organized without complexity. Simple. Structured. Focused.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Beside at Free against TabNotes's $2.99. On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Beside is free to download; TabNotes costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Beside | TabNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Softroni LLC | BSX Holding AS |
In-app purchases
Beside
No in-app purchases
TabNotes
No in-app purchases









