# Flash Notes vs First Step

Flash Notes and First Step are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Flash Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and First Step sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Flash Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, First Step fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Flash Notes | First Step |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 56 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [馨洁龙 郑](https://appshunter.io/developer/1872415712) | [宸 薛](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882752143) |

## What reviewers say

### Flash Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-notes-idea-cards-and-memo/id6759559652)

Capture fleeting thoughts instantly with visual cards and an infinite canvas. Organize ideas without pressure, turning inspiration into a connected knowledge network. Review your creative habits weekly.

**Highlights:** Frictionless capture via widgets, Colorful visual cards for text, voice, photos, links, Swipe to archive functionality, Infinite canvas for mind mapping, Weekly creative habit insights, Privacy-focused local storage, iCloud sync across Apple devices

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 灵感随记 - 高级会员（月） | $0.99 | per month |
| 灵感随记 - 高级会员（季度） | $1.99 | per 3 months |


### First Step

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-step-ai-task-planner/id6760126282)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FirstStep Pro 月付会员 | $0.99 | per month |
| FirstStep Pro 年度会员 | $7.99 | per year |
| FirstStep Pro 永久会员 | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Flash Notes free?

Flash Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is First Step free?

First Step is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Flash Notes or First Step have ads?

Neither Flash Notes nor First Step shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Flash Notes or First Step?

Flash Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and First Step fortnightly. Most recently, Flash Notes was updated on September 20, 2026 and First Step on September 18, 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.*