# Pensieve vs Note To Self

The clearest difference is rating: Note To Self at 5.0 against Pensieve's 4.7. Note To Self also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 91%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Pensieve's advantage is ratings volume (82 vs 21). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pensieve sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Note To Self sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Note To Self holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 82 and 21 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Pensieve's written reviews are positive against 100% of Note To Self's.

Pensieve ships an update every 6 weeks, Note To Self every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pensieve | Note To Self |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pensieve-email-me-notes/id797364106/reviews) | **[5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-to-self-email-notes/id1441556005/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **82** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 91.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 33 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Window Seat Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/797364109) | [Blake Gordon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1128599700) |

## What reviewers say

### Pensieve

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pensieve-email-me-notes/id797364106)

Easily capture fleeting thoughts, ideas, and to-dos by emailing them to yourself. This app provides quick capture tools like audio recording, photo attachments, and text pasting, ensuring your ideas are saved without interrupting your flow. It prioritizes user privacy with no data mining or ads.

**Highlights:** Audio recording with speech-to-text, Built-in camera for photo attachments, Attachment picker for photos and files, Quick paste for text, links, and images, Email from Apple Watch, Share extension for in-app capture, Customizable email formatting, Offline capture

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Boost Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| All Access Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Boost Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| All Access Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


### Note To Self

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-to-self-email-notes/id1441556005)

Quickly email yourself reminders and notes without needing to log into email servers. Simply type your message and swipe to send. Unlock advanced features with a Pro subscription.

**Highlights:** Email notes to yourself, Quick and simple interface, Email verification, Unlimited emails (Pro), Light and dark mode (Pro), Send to multiple emails (Pro), Email history (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Subscription | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pensieve free?

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

### Is Note To Self free?

Note To Self is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pensieve or Note To Self?

Note To Self is rated higher. Pensieve averages 4.7 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while Note To Self averages 5.0 from 21 ratings.

### Do Pensieve or Note To Self have ads?

Neither Pensieve nor Note To Self shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pensieve or Note To Self?

Pensieve ships an update every 6 weeks, and Note To Self every 2 months. Most recently, Pensieve was updated on September 19, 2026 and Note To Self on September 9, 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.*