Better Notes + Lists and Todos vs Simple Notepad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Better Notes + Lists and Todos
This app offers a streamlined approach to note-taking and list management. Organize your thoughts and tasks using hashtags, which automatically link related content. It also extracts actionable information like phone numbers and links, and allows for photo attachments.
- Hashtag organization
- Linked notes via hashtags
- Automatic data extraction (phone, email, links)
- Checklist creation
- Photo attachments
- Tap to interact with extracted data
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** As FEATURED by Apple in “New Apps We Love” ** This is a different kind of notes app. Simpler. Smarter. Better. You can type #hashtags into your notes to organize them. #hashtags link all the tagged notes together—tap on any to see them all. We'll find any phone numbers, email addresses, or links in your notes, too, and you can tap on those to call, email, or go to the web. A dash and then a space makes a list—you can tap the dash later to cross things off. Attach #photos of things you’d like to remember—receipts, screenshots of directions, shoes in a shoe store. Whatever makes sense for you. Tap little photos to make ‘em bigger. Swipe down on big photos to make ‘em smaller. We hope this app helps you capture the thoughts that are important to you—thank you so much for giving it a try.
Simple Notepad
This application provides a straightforward method for capturing quick notes. It offers customization options for font styles and sizes, along with essential tools for managing your notes, such as searching, copying, and sharing.
- Quick note taking
- Change font size
- Change font style
- Search notes
- Copy notes
- Share notes
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Simple Notepad is an easy way to take your quick note. In addition to providing simple way of note taking, it also offers awesome features like: - Change font size - Change fonts style - Search for your notes - Copy, print, share, and send your notes - and many more Download Simple Notepad for free now and try it out for yourself for taking any notes in easy way!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Better Notes + Lists and Todos at 83% against Simple Notepad's 21%. Better Notes + Lists and Todos also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.6) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Simple Notepad's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Better Notes + Lists and Todos holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Better Notes + Lists and Todos has 143 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Better Notes + Lists and Todos's written reviews are positive against 21% of Simple Notepad's.
Better Notes + Lists and Todos ships an update every 3 weeks, Simple Notepad every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Better Notes + Lists and Todos | Simple Notepad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (143 ratings) — better | 2.6 (16 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 82.8% of reviews — better | 20.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 143 — better | 16 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Better Notes, LLC | Jian Yih Lee |
Customer experience
Better Notes + Lists and Todos
Simple Notepad
Bugs and requests
Better Notes + Lists and Todos
Reported bugs
12 issues- Notes delete randomly or unexpectedly
- App crashes when deleting notes
- App crashes when resizing sticky notes
- Reminder notifications trigger for deleted notes
- Checkboxes don't stay checked after closing app
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- Pinned notes don't stay pinned
- Archive count shows incorrect number
- PDF export crashes the app
- Hashtags don't fully support Chinese characters
- Feature tour notes cannot be deleted
- Notification doesn't open to the specific note
- Notes lost after iCloud backup issues
Requested features
20 requests- iCloud synchronization across devices
- iPad version with full optimization
- Passcode/fingerprint security lock
- Undo and redo functionality
- Text formatting options (bold, italic, underline)
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Mac/desktop companion app
- Apple Pencil support
- Widget for quick note creation
- Note color customization
- Organize hashtags into albums/folders
- Dark mode option
- Markdown support
- Web app or browser extension
- Ability to archive notes properly
- Improved reminder functionality
- Swipe-to-delete gesture
- Notification opens specific note
- Checkbox persistence after closing app
- Drag and drop to reorder lines/paragraphs
- Multiple hashtag filtering
Simple Notepad
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Better Notes + Lists and Todos
No in-app purchases
Simple Notepad
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Better Notes + Lists and Todos free?
Is Simple Notepad free?
Which has better reviews, Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Simple Notepad?
Do Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Simple Notepad have ads?
Which is updated more often, Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Simple Notepad?
Other comparisons
