# DS note vs Karakeep App

The clearest difference is rating: Karakeep App at 4.6 against DS note's 2.8. Karakeep App also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 31%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). DS note's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Karakeep App holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 109 and 43 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of DS note's written reviews are positive against 69% of Karakeep App's.

DS note ships an update every 3 months, Karakeep App every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS note | Karakeep App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-note/id918177542/reviews) | **[4.6 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karakeep-app/id6479258022/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **109** | 43 |
| Positive reviews | 30.7% of reviews | **68.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 38 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Mohamed Bassem](https://appshunter.io/developer/1735323299) |

## What reviewers say

### DS note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-note/id918177542)

Create, organize, and share notes anywhere, even offline. This app syncs with your personal cloud storage, allowing you to manage to-do lists, project information, and memories. Organize with tags, notebooks, and shortcuts for easy access and sharing.

**Highlights:** Note creation and editing, Offline access, Tagging and notebook organization, Note sharing, Sync with Synology NAS

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Data stored on personal NAS for privacy
- 🔄 Reliable synchronization across devices
- 💰 Free alternative to Evernote
- 📱 Available on multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Web)
- ✅ Simple and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notes disappear when app left open without saving
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app instability
- 🐛 Copy-paste functionality unreliable
- 🐛 Keyboard arrow keys don't work on iPad
- 🐛 Apple Pencil causes app crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes content erased when leaving app open
- App crashes on startup
- App crashes when using Apple Pencil
- App crashes during text input with swipe-to-text
- App crashes when printing

**Requested features**

- Dark mode for all platforms
- Apple Pencil support for iPad
- Arrow key support for Bluetooth keyboards
- Auto-save functionality
- Offline mode for note creation


### Karakeep App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karakeep-app/id6479258022)

Effortlessly save links, notes, and images with automatic AI-powered tagging for quick retrieval. Search through all your saved content, including link contents, at blazing fast speeds. Organize your saved items into custom lists and share content from any app.

**Highlights:** Automatic AI tagging, Full-text search, Custom lists, Sharing extension, Save links, notes, and images

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS note free?

DS note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Karakeep App free?

Karakeep App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DS note or Karakeep App?

Karakeep App is rated higher. DS note averages 2.8 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while Karakeep App averages 4.6 from 43 ratings.

### Do DS note or Karakeep App have ads?

Neither DS note nor Karakeep App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS note or Karakeep App?

DS note ships an update every 3 months, and Karakeep App every 6 weeks. Most recently, DS note was updated on October 1, 2026 and Karakeep App on September 30, 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.*