# NoteGarden vs Refio

NoteGarden and Refio 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. NoteGarden sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Refio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

NoteGarden ships an update every 8 days, Refio every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NoteGarden | Refio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ChanGyu Kang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869205578) | [SilverAI Joint Stock Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/1619287419) |

## What reviewers say

### NoteGarden

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notegarden-diary/id6775188612)

Easily capture your day with mood icons, photos, and short notes. Revisit past moments through a calendar view, photo timeline, and "On This Day" memories. Secure your entries with app lock and sync across devices via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Mood tracking with icons, Photo and short note entries, Calendar and timeline views, Search and favorites, iCloud sync, App lock security, 30-day trash recovery

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NoteGarden Pro Lifetime | $1.99 | one-time |


### Refio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refio-expiry-spare-tracking/id6798131317)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NoteGarden free?

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

### Is Refio free?

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

### Do NoteGarden or Refio have ads?

Neither NoteGarden nor Refio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NoteGarden or Refio?

NoteGarden ships an update every 8 days, and Refio every 2 weeks. Most recently, NoteGarden was updated on October 28, 2026 and Refio on October 24, 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.*