Comparison

memono Journal vs Simple Notes

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

Head to head
About

memono Journal

Create rich multimedia journal entries with text, photos, audio, and location data. Organize notes with color categories, set reminders, and share them easily. Secure your entries with a lock and fingerprint access.

Highlights
  • Multimedia notes (text, photos, audio)
  • Location tagging
  • Color-coded organization
  • Reminders and notifications
  • Secure lock with Touch ID
  • iCloud synchronization
  • Note sharing
Features
Read full description

Multimedia journal and notes application for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Apple Watch. ** SAE Alumni Award 2015 WINNER ** TEXT Add a title and text to your note. Phone numbers, addresses, web links and email addresses can be used interactive from inside memono. PHOTOS Take a photo with the camera or choose one from the photo library and add it to your note. View the photo fullscreen and zoom into it. Save multiple images per note. PHOTO FILTERS Choose from many different photo filter effects and apply them to your photo. Remove the filter effects at any time to reuse the original photo. AUDIO RECORDING Record a voice message for every note. LOCATION Add a location to your note or let memono do it automatically. DATE The date will be added automatically to each note and can also be edited. COLOR CATEGORIES Assign different colors to your notes to organize them. SHARE NOTE Share your note via email, SMS, Twitter, Facebook, Sina Weibo or save a custom designed memono note to your photo library. REMINDER ALERT Set a reminder alert for each note and receive a notification. ICLOUD Use iCloud to synchronize your notes across all your devices and to save a backup in iCloud. LOCK Lock your memono app by defining a touch pattern gesture to protect your notes and keep them private. Use Touch ID to unlock memono with your fingerprint. SEARCH & SPOTLIGHT SEARCH Notes can be filtered by doing a text search. 3D TOUCH Quick actions, peek and pop. APPLE WATCH Use Apple Watch to create a note. View your notes on Apple Watch. Receive notifications from memono on Apple Watch. memono Pro is offered as a one-time purchase or as a subscription either 3-montly or yearly. You can cancel subscriptions at any time through your App Store account settings. Subscriptions automatically renew if they are not canceled within 24 hours of the end of the current period. Subscriptions can be managed by the user and auto-renewal can be turned off in the user's account settings after purchase. For more information, see our privacy policy and our terms and conditions. http://appinghouse.com/memono-privacy.html http://appinghouse.com/memono-terms.html

About

Simple Notes

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
Read full description

Simple Notes is an easy-to-use notes app that leaves out the extras, so writing, organizing, and finding notes stay simple. Notes go into color-coded folders, and you can find them using the calendar or photo album. No account or setup is required, and the app works offline. Core features are free. Keep everything in one place, from class notes and work memos to a diary or baby journal. [Features] ■ Add Photos to Notes - Attach images to any note - Insert pictures from your photo library, or take a photo on the spot ■ Folder Organization - Create folders to keep your notes organized - Choose from 24 folder colors to tell categories apart at a glance ■ Calendar View - View notes by date using the built-in calendar - Tap any date to see notes for that date — perfect for locating past entries ■ Photo Album - Browse all images added to notes in one place - Tap a photo to jump to its note ■ Home Screen & Lock Screen Widgets - Keep a note on your Home Screen like a sticky note — no need to open the app - Lock Screen widgets let you see a note without unlocking your iPhone - Choose which note to display and its text size *Widgets are part of the Premium Service* ■ Sort Notes & Bullet Lists - Sort by note date, date edited, date created, or title, ascending or descending - Bullet lists make it easy to write shopping and packing lists ■ Passcode Lock - Protect your notes with a passcode - Supports Face ID and Touch ID for quick and secure access ■ Font Styles - Choose from 12 font styles - Choose a playful, elegant, or professional look for your notes ■ Themes and App Icons - Pick from 23 theme colors and matching app icons - Customize the look of the app and even the Home Screen icon ■ Full-Note Image & PDF - Turn an entire note, even a long one with photos, into a single image to share - Export notes as PDFs for work or school ■ Data Backup & Export - Back up your notes to iCloud or export them to your computer - Hand exported notes to AI apps for summaries, or save them to Notion or Google Drive - Export formats: HTML (for Windows), RTFD (for Mac, keeps images), PDF, and TXT *Data export and iCloud backup are part of the Premium Service; notes are also included in your iPhone’s device backup* ■ iCloud Sync - Use iCloud to sync notes across your iPhone and iPad (Premium Service) - Restore your notes on a new device if yours is lost or broken ■ Smart Search - Use the built-in search to quickly find notes - Add text tags like “#Important” to make key notes easier to locate ■ Character Count - Check the character count as you write reports, essays, or fiction - Each note can hold up to 100,000 characters ■ Text Display Settings - Adjust text size, contrast, and line spacing - Ideal if you prefer larger text or need better readability - Dark Mode is supported for nighttime use ■ Remove Ads - The Premium Service hides all ads - Enjoy a clean, distraction-free screen for your notes [Great For] - Students: class and lecture notes with photos, one folder per course — export notes as PDF or text and hand them to AI apps for exam prep - Parents: a baby journal with photos, growth records, and family memos in folders - Work: meeting notes, ideas, and memos in one place — tap the mic on the iOS keyboard to dictate notes, handy for transcripts and meeting minutes - Writers: novels, blog drafts, and reports — live character count and PDF sharing [Good to Know] - Works on iPhone and iPad (iOS/iPadOS 14 or later) - Works offline — create and view notes even in Airplane Mode - No handwriting or audio recording — the focus is simple text-and-photo notes [Help & Contact] - For help, go to “Help / FAQ” in the app settings - If you still have questions, tap “Contact Us” on the help screen - For faster support, contact us through the app rather than leaving an App Store review 【Terms of Service】 https://komorebi-studio.com/tos_en.html 【Privacy Policy】 https://komorebi-studio.com/policyredirect.html

Screenshots

memono Journal4 screens
Simple Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: memono Journal at none against Simple Notes's shown. memono Journal also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). Simple Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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. memono Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 3 months 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for memono Journal against 4.7 for Simple Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 301 and 790 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of memono Journal's written reviews are positive against 88% of Simple Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

memono Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, Simple Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
memono Journal versus Simple Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametermemono JournalSimple Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (301 ratings)4.7 (790 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.2% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings301790 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB206 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDennis EbbinghausKomorebi Inc.

Customer experience

memono Journal

All ratings301 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral7.6%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews900 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral6.8%
Negative8.0%

Simple Notes

All ratings790 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral5.8%
Negative6.7%

User reviews

memono Journal

From 301 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🔒 Password protection
  • 📷 Ability to add photos
  • 🎵 Voice recording support
  • 📍 Location tracking

Room to improve

  • 💸 Ads are too frequent
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding/searching notes
  • 🔤 Small font size
  • 📁 Limited organization options

Simple Notes

From 790 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

memono Journal

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Photos disappearing after saving
  • Syncing issues between devices
  • Crashes and freezes on certain devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to change font size and style
  • Option to add multiple photos per note
  • Folder/category organization
  • Improved search and sorting functionality

Simple Notes

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • No local PC backup and restore feature
  • UI looks outdated and childish

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

3 purchases

memono Journal

Subscriptions2
  • 3 months$0.993 Months
  • 1 Year$2.991 Year
One-time1
  • One-time purchase$4.99
3 purchases

Simple Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Premium (Annual)7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Service$39.99

Questions

Is memono Journal free?
memono Journal 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, memono Journal or Simple Notes?
Simple Notes is rated higher. memono Journal averages 4.6 out of 5 from 301 ratings, while Simple Notes averages 4.7 from 790 ratings.
Do memono Journal or Simple Notes have ads?
Simple Notes shows ads; memono Journal does not.
Which is updated more often, memono Journal or Simple Notes?
memono Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, and Simple Notes every 3 months. Most recently, memono Journal was updated on October 1, 2026 and Simple Notes on September 28, 2026.

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