SimplePenNote vs Aetherly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
SimplePenNote
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SimplePenNote โ pen and paper, nothing more. Tired of bloated note apps? SimplePenNote keeps only what you actually need. Opens in a second. No ads. No notifications. No accounts. -- Six paper templates Blank, grid, lined, Cornell notes, weekly planner, and study (problem/answer). Switch with one tap. -- Infinite zoomable canvas Built on PencilKit. Pinch to zoom freely; one page holds plenty. -- Face ID / Touch ID app lock Keep journals and private notes safe. One toggle in settings. -- 30-day trash Accidentally deleted notes are recoverable for 30 days. -- Silent iCloud sync Notes sync across your iPhone and iPad signed in with the same Apple ID. No third-party servers โ notes live only in your private iCloud. -- PNG / PDF export Clean exports including the paper template. -------------------- SimplePenNote Pro (optional) Use up to 5 pages free. To unlock unlimited pages and watermark-free export, buy Pro once โ no subscription. ยท Unlimited pages ยท Watermark-free PNG / PDF export ยท One-time purchase, lifetime access ยท Works on all your devices with the same Apple ID -------------------- The Minimalism Promise ยท No ads ยท No tracking or analytics SDKs ยท No third-party servers (Apple iCloud only) ยท No sign-up ยท No notifications Privacy: https://blue-code.github.io/legal/simplepennote/privacy.html Support: https://blue-code.github.io/legal/simplepennote/support.html Contact: digimaru@gmail.com
Aetherly
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Aetherly sends your files straight to the other device, peer to peer, with no detour through a server. Drop in your files, then choose where they go: a contact, or one of your own devices. A contact receives a request and decides. Your own devices, as long as they are online, simply receive. There is nothing to accept and nothing to wait for. DIRECT, NOT CLOUD Files travel device to device over an encrypted WebRTC connection. They are never parked on a server for the other side to fetch later, so the transfer begins the moment the connection does. The server handles sign-in, your contact list, permission checks, presence, connection setup and your history. The history records what was sent and when. The files themselves never touch it. YOUR OWN DEVICES ARE A PRIVATE LANE Sign in on your phone and on your desktop and they find each other. No request, no confirmation, no contact to add. A photo you take on the phone is on the desktop before you have switched chairs. SEND TEXT, NOT ONLY FILES A link, an address, a booking code, a paragraph you want on the other screen: send it as text instead of turning it into a file first. Switch on automatic clipboard copy on the desktop and received text goes straight into your clipboard. The link from your phone is then one paste away, with no file to open and delete afterwards. WORKS NEAR AND FAR On the same network the connection stays local, which is as fast as your Wi-Fi allows. Across the internet the two devices connect to each other directly. Locked-down corporate firewalls can refuse a direct connection, and Aetherly cannot transfer on those. HAND A TRANSFER TO ANOTHER DEVICE An incoming transfer does not have to be accepted where it arrives. Send it to another desktop on your account and it downloads there instead. If that device is offline, declines, runs out of space or no longer has the file, the request comes back to you rather than quietly vanishing. REACH BACK INTO YOUR HISTORY Your history covers every device on your account, not just this one. If a file is still on one of them and that device is reachable, request it from here. No re-sending, no asking the other person again. PRESENCE IS OPT-IN You decide when your contacts can see you. Turn it on to see who is online, turn it off to stay private. PLANS Free sends up to 500 MB per transfer, 5 files at a time, across 2 devices. Basic raises that to 2 GB and 20 files across 5 devices. Pro removes the size limit entirely and allows 300 files across 15 devices. No resume โ both devices must stay connected until the transfer reaches 100%. Subscriptions are billed through your Apple ID. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://aetherly-app.com/en/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://aetherly-app.com/en/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
SimplePenNote and Aetherly are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. SimplePenNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Aetherly sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | SimplePenNote | Aetherly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | โ | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Byoungho Kim | DuyTec GmbH |
In-app purchases
SimplePenNote
- Pro$2.99
Aetherly
- Aetherly Basic (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Aetherly Pro (Monthly)$11.991 Month
- Aetherly Basic (Yearly)$34.991 Year
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- Aetherly Pro (Yearly)$99.991 Year









