# Notes, Notepad & Memo vs Simple Notes

The clearest difference is ads: Notes, Notepad & Memo at none against Simple Notes's shown. Notes, Notepad & Memo also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (2.5K vs 791). Simple Notes's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes, Notepad & Memo sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.5K and 791 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Notes, Notepad & Memo's written reviews are positive against 87% of Simple Notes's.

Notes, Notepad & Memo ships an update every 5 weeks, Simple Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes, Notepad & Memo | Simple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-and-memo-upword/id778883247/reviews) | **[4.7 (791 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 791 |
| Positive reviews | 82.5% of reviews | **87.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 216 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Curious Creators Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/632150786) | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes, Notepad & Memo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-and-memo-upword/id778883247)

This app helps you organize your life with notes, lists, and reminders. It features intuitive swipe gestures for task management, one-tap reminders, and folder organization. Sync your notes across devices and export them in various formats.

**Highlights:** Swipe gesture for list management, One-tap and repeating reminders, Organize with folders and shortcuts, Dropbox sync across devices, Export notes to PDF, email, and text, Full-text search and word count

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Loyalty Reward 2 | Free | one-time |
| Loyalty Reward 1 | Free | one-time |
| Loyalty Reward 3 | Free | one-time |
| Loyalty Reward 7 | Free | one-time |
| Loyalty Reward 9 | Free | one-time |
| Loyalty Reward 8 | Free | one-time |
| Loyalty Reward 10 | Free | one-time |
| Loyalty Reward 4 | Free | one-time |
| Loyalty Reward 6 | Free | one-time |
| Go Premium | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for organization
- 💡 Useful for lists and notes
- 🎨 Customizable colors and fonts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Sync and backup issues
- ⚠️ Outdated and not updated
- 💰 Aggressive upselling of premium features

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting scrambled
- Syncing problems with Dropbox and other services
- Frequent crashes and app instability
- Settings and preferences not saving properly

**Requested features**

- Add ability to attach photos
- Improve offline functionality
- Provide better customer support
- Implement more customization options


### Simple Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396)

This app offers a clean and efficient way to organize your thoughts and ideas. Easily add images, organize notes into colored folders, and secure your entries with a passcode. Customize the look with various themes and fonts, and back up your data to iCloud.

**Highlights:** Add photos to notes, Organize with colored folders, Calendar view for notes, Passcode and biometric lock, Customizable themes and fonts, iCloud backup and sync, Smart search with tags

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (Annual) | $14.99 | per year |
| Premium Service | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 📁 Folder organization and color-coding
- 🔒 Password protection
- 💡 Useful for school and work notes
- 🚀 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Lack of iCloud sync
- 📐 Limited formatting options (no bold, italics, etc.)
- 🎨 Default folder color cannot be changed
- 🔍 No alphabetical sorting for folders

**Reported bugs**

- No local PC backup and restore feature
- UI looks outdated and childish

**Requested features**

- Add ability to pin notes at the top of a folder
- Implement iCloud sync between devices
- Introduce more text formatting options (bold, italics, underline, etc.)
- Allow changing folder colors


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes, Notepad & Memo free?

Notes, Notepad & Memo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes, Notepad & Memo or Simple Notes?

Simple Notes is rated higher. Notes, Notepad & Memo averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Simple Notes averages 4.7 from 791 ratings.

### Do Notes, Notepad & Memo or Simple Notes have ads?

Simple Notes shows ads; Notes, Notepad & Memo does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notes, Notepad & Memo or Simple Notes?

Notes, Notepad & Memo ships an update every 5 weeks, and Simple Notes every 3 months. Most recently, Notes, Notepad & Memo was updated on October 12, 2026 and Simple Notes on October 11, 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.*