Comparison

Better Notes + Lists and Todos 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

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.

Highlights
  • Hashtag organization
  • Linked notes via hashtags
  • Automatic data extraction (phone, email, links)
  • Checklist creation
  • Photo attachments
  • Tap to interact with extracted data
Features
Read full description

** 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.

About

Simple Notes.

This app offers a straightforward way to create, manage, and share text-based notes. It focuses on essential features like character counting and sorting, with seamless integration for sharing via messaging apps.

Highlights
  • Create text notes
  • Character count display
  • Sort notes
  • Widget support
  • Instant sharing via Messages
  • Automatic saving
Features
Read full description

Simple Notes. is exactly what the name says, a simple note taking app. The app's core idea is to provide an app with features that everyone is going to use. There's no grids, cameras, audio and etc. Just text, and sharing. What can this app do? -Create notes -Display the number of characters -Sort notes -Show list of notes, or most recent note using widgets -Share instantly using the Messages app -How to Create Notes 1. Press "Create new Note" 2. Enter the any text you'd like to save 3. Press "Save" After your first save, your note will be saved automatically -How to delete Notes Swipe your note to the left or 1. Tap the three dots button 2. Press edit 3. Then press "-" then press "delete" -How to sort notes 1. Tap the three dots button 2. Tap the way you want to sort your notes -How to share notes with iMessage 0. Open "iMessage" 1. Tap on a conversation 2. Tap on Simple Notes. from the app drawer 3. Select a note you'd like to send 4. Press the blue arrow and your message is sent! (If you don't want to send your title, turn on the switch on the top) Please leave reviews and comments in the App Store/Twitter Direct Message about what should be done to make this app better

Screenshots

Better Notes + Lists and Todos4 screens
Simple Notes.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Better Notes + Lists and Todos at none against Simple Notes.'s 3. Better Notes + Lists and Todos also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Simple Notes.'s advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Simple Notes. sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Better Notes + Lists and Todos asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Notes. holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 143 and 61 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Better Notes + Lists and Todos's written reviews are positive against 79% of Simple Notes.'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Better Notes + Lists and Todos ships an update every 3 weeks, Simple Notes. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 15, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Better Notes + Lists and Todos versus Simple Notes.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBetter Notes + Lists and TodosSimple Notes.
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (143 ratings)4.7 (61 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.8% of reviews — better78.6% of reviews
Number of ratings143 — better61
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.014.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBetter Notes, LLCYuto Iwakami

Customer experience

Better Notes + Lists and Todos

All ratings143 ratings
Positive86.0%
Neutral5.6%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews134 reviews
Positive82.8%
Neutral10.4%
Negative6.7%

Simple Notes.

All ratings61 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral4.9%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative7.1%

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
Show 7 more
  • 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 more
  • 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 Notes.

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Better Notes + Lists and Todos

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Simple Notes.

One-time3
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$2.99
  • Large Tip$5.99

Questions

Is Better Notes + Lists and Todos free?
Better Notes + Lists and Todos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simple Notes. free?
Simple Notes. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Simple Notes.?
Simple Notes. is rated higher. Better Notes + Lists and Todos averages 4.5 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while Simple Notes. averages 4.7 from 61 ratings.
Do Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Simple Notes. have ads?
Neither Better Notes + Lists and Todos nor Simple Notes. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Simple Notes.?
Better Notes + Lists and Todos ships an update every 3 weeks, and Simple Notes. every 2 months. Most recently, Better Notes + Lists and Todos was updated on August 15, 2026 and Simple Notes. on September 28, 2026.

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