Comparison

PinNote vs Near

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

Head to head
About

PinNote

Keep essential information like codes, reminders, or quotes instantly visible on your Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy widgets. Access notes without unlocking your device, with options for adjustable text, attachments, and privacy blur.

Highlights
  • Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy widgets
  • Adjustable large text and background options
  • Siri quick note integration
  • Audio and video attachments
  • Full-screen alarm reminders
  • Privacy blur mode
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

PinNote keeps the notes and reminders you need most where you can see them. Add a note to your iPhone Lock Screen, Home Screen, or StandBy. Keep today's priority, a shopping list, or a reminder in view—without opening the app. QUICK-GLANCE WIDGETS • Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy widgets • Large, adjustable text from 16 to 56 pt • Search notes and filter by pinned notes or reminders • Pin and sort important notes • Choose paper, white, yellow, blue, or black backgrounds NOTES FOR MORE THAN TEXT • Add up to four images to a note • Record audio up to 10 minutes or video up to 3 minutes • Create text notes with Siri or Shortcuts; Siri voice-to-text transcription isn't supported REMINDERS THAT FIT YOUR ROUTINE • Repeat reminders daily, on weekdays or weekends, weekly, or on selected days • Choose a full-screen alarm or a quiet banner notification PRIVACY AND SYNC • Blur note content in Lock Screen widgets with Privacy Mode • Sync notes and attachments across iPhone and iPad with iCloud • See when iCloud sync is in progress in Settings Keep the details you need close at hand with PinNote. Feedback & 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/7a37547a1830444b27c6c5aa8195a622d62858d5

About

Near

Organize your daily tasks, notes, and reminders with customizable templates and presets. Easily capture information from various sources and display important details on your lock screen and wrist. Prioritize what matters with a privacy-focused, offline-capable action hub.

Highlights
  • 22 templates and 18 role presets
  • Customizable entry points
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island support
  • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
  • Apple Watch views
  • Offline functionality
  • Encrypted local storage
Features
Read full description

Turn information from screenshots, messages and quick notes into cards you can act on. Find your pickup code at the counter, check your seat before boarding, and put the card away when you're done. CAPTURE, THEN ACT Type, paste a notification or import a screenshot. On-device recognition extracts information for parcel and food pickups, trains, flights, movies, events, parking, lists, countdowns and more. Review, edit and add details as needed. KEEP THE NEXT STEP IN SIGHT Show a card now, schedule its display, or keep it inside the app. On supported devices, see key details in Dynamic Island, Live Activities on the Lock Screen, widgets and Apple Watch. Work through multiple pickup codes and move to the next one after collection. Automatic display depends on system permissions and execution opportunities; you can also start manually. Flight cards contain saved information, not live flight status. ROOM FOR EVERYDAY RECORDS Keep quick notes, checklists and a journal alongside your plans. Choose a card type that suits the task, then deal with it at your own pace. FREE FEATURES AND NEAR PRO On-device recognition has no usage limit and requires no account. Ordinary local cards are unlimited; the free tier supports up to 3 scheduled cards and 3 recurring items. Pro adds more themes and appearance options, more sharing styles, optional iCloud sync, and unlimited scheduled cards and recurring items. Some themes and features require Pro. OPTIONAL AI, YOUR CONFIGURATION Pro users can configure their own AI provider, model and API key. Near explains data sharing and tests the connection before activation. When enabled, relevant recognition content is sent to your configured provider, which may charge separately. On-device recognition remains available without AI. YOUR DATA CHOICES Local recognition runs on your device. iCloud sync and AI enhancement are separate opt-in features. Structured vaccination, medication and medical appointment records and linked sources are excluded from iCloud sync. Content you submit to enabled AI is processed under your provider's policies. Basic usage analytics can be disabled in settings. See the privacy policy for source retention and processing details. PURCHASES Pro is available through monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscriptions, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices, offers and trial eligibility are shown in the purchase screen and App Store confirmation. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple Account settings. Restore Purchases is available in the app. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://near.mingxi.io/privacy

Screenshots

PinNote4 screens
Near4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PinNote at every 3 days against Near's every 5 days. Near's advantage is iOS requirement (16.2 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 and Near sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for PinNote against 4.9 for Near. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 7 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of PinNote's written reviews are positive against 96% of Near's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PinNote ships an update every 3 days, Near every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PinNote versus Near: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPinNoteNear
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (8 ratings)4.9 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews94.7% of reviews95.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.016.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB292 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developer军 孙毓凯 林

Customer experience

PinNote

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%

Near

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive95.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.2%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PinNote

One-time1
  • PinNote Premium$3.99
3 purchases

Near

Subscriptions2
  • Near Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Near Pro Yearly1 Year trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Near Pro Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is PinNote free?
PinNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Near free?
Near is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PinNote or Near?
Near is rated higher. PinNote averages 4.8 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Near averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.
Do PinNote or Near have ads?
Neither PinNote nor Near shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PinNote or Near?
PinNote ships an update every 3 days, and Near every 5 days. Most recently, PinNote was updated on November 10, 2026 and Near on November 10, 2026.

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