Comparison

Mini Notes vs PinNote

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

Head to head
About

Mini Notes

Features
Read full description

If you want a notes app that's “open and write, tidy as you go, never lose a word,” Mini Notes is built for you. **Auto-save, so every quick note is safe** Even if a call comes in, the app is interrupted, or your phone runs flat, anything you hadn't saved is brought back automatically. No hunting for a save button—just write. **Flexible organization, your own knowledge base** Manage things as “Notebook → Group → Note” with multi-level nesting for complex setups—or skip filing entirely and just jot things down. **One-tap sharing, capture ideas on the spot** When you spot a passage or link in Safari or another app, just tap Share and choose Mini Notes. It drops straight into your inbox—no copying back and forth. **Effortless formatting, clear at a glance** The rich-text editor gives you bold, strikethrough and a 12-color preset palette, and remembers the last color you used so you don't set it again. Titles inherit the body's formatting, keeping list previews clean and readable. **Home Screen widget, no need to open the app** Put your most recently edited notes on your Home Screen and see what you wrote today at a glance. Tap one to jump straight back into it. **Recently Deleted, for when you delete by mistake** Deleted notes stay in Recently Deleted for 3 days, so you can restore them anytime. Sure you don't need them? Clear them out in one tap. **Text Size, so everything is easy to read** Drag a slider in Settings to resize the text and icons throughout the app, without changing the setting for any other app. **Markdown checklists for quick to-dos** Type "# checklist" to turn the current line into a tappable checkbox. Press Return and the next line starts with a checkbox too. Tap to tick it off—tapped the wrong one? Just undo it. We'll keep updating Mini Notes. If there's something you'd like improved, or a feature you'd love to see, please leave a review on the App Store or get in touch via Send Feedback in the app. Your support and encouragement keep us building a better product. Thank you!

About

PinNote

This app places your essential notes directly on your iPhone's Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy. Access important information like passwords, to-dos, or reminders at a glance without unlocking your device. Customize your notes with adjustable font sizes and backgrounds, and utilize privacy mode to blur sensitive content.

Highlights
  • Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy widgets
  • Adjustable font size and background colors
  • Privacy mode for sensitive information
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Pinning and sorting of important notes
  • Paper-inspired design
Features
Read full description

PinNote — pin what matters most to your screen. Some things you just need to see at a glance: door codes and gate passwords, Wi-Fi name and password, parking spot number, to-dos and shopping lists, a daily dose of motivation. Standby Note is built for exactly these glance-and-go moments. It puts your notes directly on your iPhone's Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy — no unlocking, no opening apps, just look. Key features: Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy widgets Supports Lock Screen rectangular, Lock Screen inline, Home Screen widgets, and StandBy widgets — keeping your notes always in view. Minimal editor, huge type Notes are shown in extra-large bold type, with adjustable font size (16–56pt) and paper, white, yellow, blue, or black backgrounds. Privacy mode Enable it and your Lock Screen widget blurs automatically — sensitive info stays hidden from prying eyes. iCloud sync Notes sync automatically across iPhone and iPad via iCloud. Pin & sort Pin important notes so they always stay on top. Paper-inspired design Warm cream paper, ink-black type, and an amber accent — clean, high-contrast, and unobtrusive, like a real sticky note on your screen. Who is it for? Anyone who forgets door or Wi-Fi codes; anyone who needs to jot down parking spots fast; anyone who wants a daily reminder always in sight; anyone who loves minimal, glanceable tools. Standby Note — keep what matters, always in view. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. We will add or optimize features based on your requests. Support Email: sunjun20141@qq.com Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://docs.qq.com/doc/p/1467c8fe80745c7beac61d87faf270f4ce650a31

Screenshots

Mini Notes4 screens
PinNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mini Notes at none against PinNote's 1. PinNote's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs weekly). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mini Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mini Notes ships an update weekly, PinNote daily. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Mini Notes versus PinNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMini NotesPinNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.5 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—94.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZHONGCHENG YANG军 孙

In-app purchases

None

Mini Notes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

PinNote

One-time1
  • PinNote Premium$3.99

Questions

Is Mini Notes free?
Mini Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PinNote free?
PinNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Mini Notes or PinNote have ads?
Mini Notes shows ads; PinNote does not.
Which is updated more often, Mini Notes or PinNote?
Mini Notes ships an update weekly, and PinNote daily. Most recently, Mini Notes was updated on October 5, 2026 and PinNote on October 19, 2026.

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