Comparison

PinNote vs CustosNotes

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

Head to head
About

PinNote

Features
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PinNote turns your daily notes into Live Activities, right there on your Lock Screen, without unlocking your phone. Create a daily note in seconds. It appears instantly on your Lock Screen. Note: iPhone clears Lock Screen live activities after up to 8 hours. As long as you open PinNote at least every 8 hours, your notes refresh on their own and stay pinned for good. Nothing is ever lost. FEATURES — Inline editing directly in the list — Gesture-based: swipe to edit or delete, drag to reorder, pull to create — Custom colors, fonts, and text alignment — Up to 5 notes on your Lock Screen at once — Add a note directly from Control Center — one tap, anywhere HOW IT WORKS PinNote is for your daily notes, the quick things you want in sight all day. Each note is a Live Activity. Add a note → it pins to your Lock Screen. Done with it → swipe it away and it will appear as "done". Tick a note to switch it between to do and done. Only to dos show on your Lock Screen. Clear one from your Lock Screen and it's marked done automatically. FREE TRIAL Try every feature free for 7 days. After that, choose your plan: — One-time purchase: unlock forever, no recurring fees. — Monthly plan: low monthly subscription, cancel anytime. Made with love in Brussels, by Quentin Hocdé. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

CustosNotes

This app keeps your important notes visible at the top of your screen, in the Dynamic Island, on your Lock Screen, or in the status bar. It allows for quick voice input and easy pinning until you're done with the task.

Highlights
  • Pin notes to Dynamic Island
  • Display notes on Lock Screen
  • Voice-to-text input
  • Set reminders by time
  • Type notes manually
  • Dark mode support
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Most notes apps give you a list. Lists are where things go to be forgotten. CustosNotes keeps the note where you cannot miss it: the top of your screen. Hold the circle, say the thing, let go. Then tap once and that note stays pinned — in the Dynamic Island, on your Lock Screen, in your status bar — until you decide it is done. HOW IT WORKS • Hold the circle and speak. One button, no menus, no cursor to find. • Your phone's own recogniser writes it down, in your language. • Let go and the note lands. It starts switched off; you choose which ones earn a spot up top. WHERE IT STAYS • Dynamic Island — the mark and the time, beside the camera (iPhone 14 Pro and later). • Lock Screen — the whole note, readable without unlocking. • Live Activities & Status Bar — pinned notifications and status updates that stay visible until you dismiss them. REMINDERS, WITHOUT THE CEREMONY Tap the clock, spin the dial, done. It saves as you turn. No date to pick — a time that has already passed means tomorrow — and nothing to confirm. ALSO • Type instead of speaking, for when you cannot talk. • English and Spanish, app and mic together. • Dark mode that follows your phone. • No account, no sign-up, no server. Your notes live on your phone. CustosNotes does one thing. It makes sure you do not forget it and your data does not get out of your device.

Screenshots

PinNote4 screens
CustosNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CustosNotes at none against PinNote's 2. CustosNotes also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.6). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PinNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month. CustosNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PinNote ships an update every 2 weeks, CustosNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PinNote versus CustosNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPinNoteCustosNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperQuentin HocdeJuan Martin

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PinNote

Subscriptions1
  • PinNote Monthly$2.001 Month
One-time1
  • PinNote Lifetime$5.99
None

CustosNotes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PinNote free?
PinNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CustosNotes free?
CustosNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PinNote or CustosNotes have ads?
Neither PinNote nor CustosNotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PinNote or CustosNotes?
PinNote ships an update every 2 weeks, and CustosNotes every 3 days. Most recently, PinNote was updated on November 5, 2026 and CustosNotes on October 31, 2026.

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