Comparison

Cheatsheet vs Plain Note

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

Head to head
About

Cheatsheet

Quickly store and access important information like hotel room numbers or license plates via widgets, a custom keyboard, or your Apple Watch. This app simplifies recalling details without needing to unlock your phone.

Highlights
  • Quick recall memos
  • Widget access
  • Custom keyboard integration
  • Apple Watch app
  • Search functionality
  • Organize with folders
  • Format notes
Features
Read full description

Cheatsheet is for the little things you never remember: hotel rooms, license plates, luggage combination, ID numbers. Write them down in Cheatsheet and then refer to them anytime in a Widget or paste them anywhere with the Custom Keyboard. No more fumbling to unlock your phone and find your notes app; Cheatsheet is as easy as looking at your lock screen, pulling up the keyboard, or glancing at your Apple Watch. App Features: • Simple UI for adding and managing your cheats. • Over 450 icons to help you recognize what you’re looking for. • Quickly copy a cheat by tapping-and-holding on a row. • Search for your cheats, both in the app and in Spotlight. • Use Shortcuts or Siri to “add notes to Cheatsheet” or “find notes in Cheatsheet”. • Organize your cheats with folders and titles. • Format your notes with bold, italics, lists, links, and more. • Protect your cheats with Passcode Lock (Pro feature). • Sync between all your iOS devices via iCloud (Pro feature). Widgets: • Multiple sizes, styles, and colors. • Tap a cheat to open it. Tap the “+” button to add a cheat in the app. • Cheatsheet also has a “Today widget” with options to copy or delete cheats. Apple Watch: • Add, edit, and delete cheats right from your wrist. • Complications show your top cheat (or several cheats) right on your watch face. • Syncs to your iPhone via iCloud (Pro feature). Keyboard Extension: • Shows up to 50 cheats, which you can insert anywhere you can use a custom keyboard. • Includes space, delete, and return keys to help with simple edits. Advanced Features: • Automate your workflows with Shortcuts. • Action extension: send text or URLs to Cheatsheet from any app via the share sheet. • Customize the Cheatsheet widget’s appearance and behavior to suit your needs. • Add or open notes from Control Center (iOS 18 required). • URL scheme for adding a cheat: cheatsheet://add?text=everything%20is%20awesome. Cheatsheet Pro: • Remove limits on the widget, keyboard, and Watch app. • Protect your cheats with Passcode Lock. • Organize your cheats with folders. • Sync your cheats between your devices with iCloud. • Cheatsheet Pro is a simple, annual subscription; there is a one-time purchase option for customers who want to avoid subscriptions. Cheatsheet for Mac is sold separately. • Purchases help support the ongoing development of Cheatsheet — this app is beloved by its users and has over 10 years of active development by a single indie developer, so your support is truly appreciated! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Plain Note

This app allows you to create and organize notes with customizable tags and icons. It offers lock screen and home screen widgets for quick access and supports character/line counting. Personalize your experience with themes, app icons, and fonts.

Highlights
  • Organize notes with tags
  • Customizable tag icons and colors
  • Character and line counting
  • Lock screen and home screen widgets
  • Customizable themes, app icons, and fonts
  • Archive and organize notes
Features
Read full description

"Plain Note" is a simple notes app. You can organize your notes by adding tags, and it supports lock screen and home screen widgets. It can be used on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features • You can categorize your notes with tags. • Customize tag icons and colors. • You can count the number of characters and lines. • Archive and organize your notes. • Widgets can be added to the lock screen and home screen. • Customize themes, App icons, and fonts. (Some features are available for a fee.) Premium (in-app purchase) • Sync data with iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud. This can also be used as a backup. • All themes and App icons are available. • All tag icons are available. • All font customizations are available. *Prices may vary by country or region. Please check in the app. *Some features may not be available in all languages or regions. Terms of Use: https://monelyze.app/en/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://monelyze.app/en/privacy

Screenshots

Cheatsheet4 screens
Plain Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

Cheatsheet and Plain Note both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Cheatsheet's written reviews are positive against 62% of Plain Note's. Cheatsheet also leads on iOS requirement (17.4 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Cheatsheet sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 — 4.7 for Cheatsheet against 4.6 for Plain Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.9K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Cheatsheet's written reviews are positive against 62% of Plain Note's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cheatsheet ships an update every 2 weeks, Plain Note every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Cheatsheet versus Plain Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCheatsheetPlain Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.9K ratings) — better4.6 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews80.6% of reviews — better62.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K — better1.1K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOverdesigned, LLCMonelyze Inc.

Customer experience

Cheatsheet

All ratings1,898 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews793 reviews
Positive80.6%
Neutral5.2%
Negative14.2%

Plain Note

All ratings1,079 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive62.3%
Neutral13.2%
Negative24.5%

User reviews

Cheatsheet

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Quick access to information
  • 💡 Useful for remembering important details
  • 🤖 Seamless Apple Watch integration
  • 💻 Syncs across devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sync issues
  • 🔒 Lack of password protection
  • 🔋 Apple Watch battery drain
  • 💰 Paid upgrade required for full functionality

Plain Note

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and clean design
  • 💡 One-time payment model
  • 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
  • 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Customizable tags and icons

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Notes sometimes don't save properly
  • 🐛 Slow and unreliable synchronization
  • ❌ No text formatting options (bold, italics, etc.)
  • ❌ No ability to insert photos or videos
  • ❌ No option to export notes

Bugs and requests

Cheatsheet

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Entries disappearing from widget
  • Syncing problems between devices
  • Crashes on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to sort/reorder entries
  • Improve sync reliability
  • Implement password protection
  • Allow adding images/attachments to entries
  • Expand customization options (colors, icons, etc.)

Plain Note

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
  • Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note

Requested features

7 requests
  • Ability to swipe widget to display another note
  • Subfolders for better organization
  • Export function to backup notes
  • Option to change app colors
  • Support for multiple notes in one widget
Show 2 more
  • Text formatting options (bold, italics, headings)
  • Ability to insert photos and videos

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Cheatsheet

Subscriptions4
  • Cheatsheet Pro$0.991 Month
  • Cheatsheet Pro$1.991 Month
  • Cheatsheet Pro$4.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Cheatsheet Pro14 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time5
  • Small Tip$2.99
  • Medium Tip$5.99
  • Big Tip$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Legacy$19.99
  • Cheatsheet Pro (Lifetime)$79.99
3 purchases

Plain Note

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium - Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Cheatsheet free?
Cheatsheet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Plain Note free?
Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cheatsheet or Plain Note?
Cheatsheet is rated higher. Cheatsheet averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Plain Note averages 4.6 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Cheatsheet or Plain Note have ads?
Neither Cheatsheet nor Plain Note shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cheatsheet or Plain Note?
Cheatsheet ships an update every 2 weeks, and Plain Note every 10 days. Most recently, Cheatsheet was updated on September 22, 2026 and Plain Note on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons