# Trace vs Nubble Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nubble Notes at none against Trace's 1. Nubble Notes also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Trace against 5.0 for Nubble Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

Trace ships an update every 2 months, Nubble Notes every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Trace | Nubble Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-thought-log/id6762246222/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nubble-notes-mind-map-and-ideas/id6797114391/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 49 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pedro Gomes do Nascimento](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893532153) | [ADAM JIANG LAI](https://appshunter.io/developer/6797114393) |

## What reviewers say

### Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-thought-log/id6762246222)

A minimalist and private space for capturing thoughts, notes, lists, and memories. It offers a clean interface for free writing and quick searching, with optional Pro features for customization and enhanced security.

**Highlights:** Minimalist and calm interface, Free writing and reflections, Bullet and numbered lists, Quick entry search, Local-first private storage, Customizable themes (Pro), App Lock with biometric support (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trace Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


### Nubble Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nubble-notes-mind-map-and-ideas/id6797114391)

Organize your thoughts visually with interconnected bubbles. Nest notes and ideas, tag them with confidence levels, and link related concepts. This app allows for flexible organization that adapts to your thinking process.

**Highlights:** Visual bubble organization, Nested notes and bubbles, Multi-bubble note placement, Confidence tagging system, Linked idea connections, Password-protected private bubbles, Import and search functionality

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Trace free?

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

### Is Nubble Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Trace or Nubble Notes?

Trace and Nubble Notes are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Trace or Nubble Notes have ads?

Neither Trace nor Nubble Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Trace or Nubble Notes?

Trace ships an update every 2 months, and Nubble Notes every 5 days. Most recently, Trace was updated on October 13, 2026 and Nubble Notes on October 11, 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.*