Comparison

Better Notes + Lists and Todos vs Notes Basic

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

Notes Basic

This app allows users to create, edit, and organize plain text notes. It features a simple interface for managing your notes, with options to pin important entries to the top of the list and delete unwanted ones. Changes are automatically saved when you confirm.

Highlights
  • Create and edit plain text notes
  • Organize notes in a list
  • Pin important notes to the top
  • Swipe to delete notes
  • Automatic saving of changes
Features
Read full description

■ "Note List" Screen The screen displays a list of saved notes. When you edit a note, it will automatically appear at the top of the list. ■ Add a note 1. Tap the button at the bottom right of the "Note List" screen. 2. After editing on the "Add a New Note" screen, tap the button at the bottom right to save. *If you go back with a swipe, changes will not be saved. ■ Edit a note 1. Tap the note you want to edit on the "Note List" screen. 2. After making changes on the "Edit the Note" screen, tap the button at the bottom right to save the changes. *If you go back with a swipe, changes will not be saved. ■ Pin/unpin a note When you pin a note, it will remain at the top of the "Note List" screen. Pinned notes will show a pushpin icon. 1. On the "Note List" screen, swipe to the right on the note you want to pin. 2. An orange pin icon button will appear, so tap it. * To unpin a note, perform the same action. ■ Delete a note 1. On the "Note List" screen, swipe to the left on the note you want to delete. 2. A red trash can icon button will appear, so tap it. 3. A confirmation message will appear, so tap "Delete Note." * Deleted notes cannot be restored.

Screenshots

Better Notes + Lists and Todos4 screens
Notes Basic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Better Notes + Lists and Todos at 83% against Notes Basic's 0%. Better Notes + Lists and Todos also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.0) and ads (none vs shown). Notes Basic's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Better Notes + Lists and Todos holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Better Notes + Lists and Todos has 143 ratings behind it against 1, 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 0% of Notes Basic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Better Notes + Lists and Todos ships an update every 3 weeks, Notes Basic weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 15, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Better Notes + Lists and Todos versus Notes Basic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBetter Notes + Lists and TodosNotes Basic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (143 ratings) — better2.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews82.8% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings143 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBetter Notes, LLCYudai Abe

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%

Notes Basic

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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

Notes Basic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Better Notes + Lists and Todos

No in-app purchases

None

Notes Basic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Better Notes + Lists and Todos free?
Better Notes + Lists and Todos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notes Basic free?
Notes Basic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Notes Basic?
Better Notes + Lists and Todos is rated higher. Better Notes + Lists and Todos averages 4.5 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while Notes Basic averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Notes Basic have ads?
Notes Basic shows ads; Better Notes + Lists and Todos does not.
Which is updated more often, Better Notes + Lists and Todos or Notes Basic?
Better Notes + Lists and Todos ships an update every 3 weeks, and Notes Basic weekly. Most recently, Better Notes + Lists and Todos was updated on August 15, 2026 and Notes Basic on June 3, 2026.

Other comparisons