Apple Notes vs Minimal
We give Apple Notes a 3.8 GPA and Minimal a 2.6, out of 4.0. Apple Notes grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Minimal
Meditation-inspired writing and notes app for Apple devices
Free trial · from $4.99/mo
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAApple NotesExcellent | 2.6GPAMinimalGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on the App Store, with no in-app purchases. The only money that might come up is iCloud storage: 5 GB is free, and iCloud+ starts at $0.99 a month for 50 GB. | B$4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, which is about typical for a category where paid plans usually start at $5.99 a month. The Family Plan is the better deal if you'll share it: $79.99 a year for up to 6 people. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus the browser at iCloud.com. Sync runs on the 5 GB of iCloud storage that comes with an Apple Account. | CNo free plan, and the terms don't list what works without a membership. You get a 2-week free trial, and the listing doesn't say whether it wants a card. After that it's the subscription, with no pay-once option. |
| Features | AText, checklists, tables, scans, sketches and audio recordings with live transcripts, all in one note. Search reads handwriting and the text inside scanned documents. Add tags, Smart Folders, links between notes, shared folders and locked notes. | BNote Lifetime archives notes left unedited, with reminders before they go. Several people can edit a note at once, a note becomes a public web page in three taps, and todo lists sync with Apple's Calendar. It's plain on purpose, though. Formatting is typed with special characters, and the listing shows no tags. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 650,000 App Store ratings. Commenters who tried Obsidian, Notion or Evernote say they settled on it because it's simple and already there. | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. There's very little on screen to learn. The quirks are things like typing a name between curly brackets to make a folder. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus a web version at iCloud.com for everything else. No Android or Windows app, though, and sharing only works with people who use iCloud. | CiPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, synced through iCloud, with Apple Calendar, Shortcuts and Siri hooked in. One family of devices, though. There's no Windows, Android or web app. |
| Best for | free notes if you only use Apple devices | a quiet page where old notes clear themselves out |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apple Notes and Minimal. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apple Notes is free. Minimal starts at $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year.
- Apple Notes has a free plan. Minimal does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Apple Notes lists a web app.
- Apple Notes also covers transcription and linked notes.
- Minimal also covers Markdown and tasks.
In commoniOSmacOSReal-time collaborationNotes
At a glance
| Apple Notes | Minimal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year |
| Free plan | The app is listed as free on the App Store, with no in-app purchases. Syncing runs through iCloud, which includes 5 GB of free storage with an Apple Account. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 2-week free trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Timeless LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | minimal.app |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Apple Notes
- People who use only Apple devices
- Quick capture with Quick Note, Siri or dictation on Apple Watch
- Scanning receipts and documents into searchable notes
- Families and friends sharing notes and folders over iCloud
Minimal
- Writers who want a quiet, sparse page on Apple devices
- People who would rather old notes expire than pile up
- Co-writing a note or publishing one as a web page
Worth knowing
Apple Notes
- Apps are listed only for Apple devices; on anything else, notes are reached in a web browser at iCloud.com.
- Notes on iCloud.com works only with notes stored in iCloud, not with notes kept in other accounts such as Google or Yahoo.
- Sync relies on iCloud, which includes 5 GB of free storage; iCloud+ plans with more storage start at $0.99 per month for 50 GB.
- Sharing is limited to people who use iCloud, and Apple says certain features are available only in select languages and regions.
Minimal
- It is available for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch only; there is no Windows, Android or web app.
- After the 2-week trial it is a subscription at $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year; no one-time purchase is offered.
- The terms say the best features are members-only but do not list what works without a subscription.
- Notes published as websites are public by default and can be searchable on the web.
Key features
Apple Notes
- Rich notes
- A note can combine text styles, checklists, tables, photos, PDFs, maps and web links. Section headers collapse to hide the text under them.
- Audio recording and transcripts
- Audio sessions are recorded inside a note with a live transcript, and transcripts are searchable to find a particular moment.
- Document scanner and handwriting
- A built-in scanner captures paper documents. Sketches and handwriting are added with a finger, or with Apple Pencil on a compatible iPad, including on inline PDFs.
- Folders, tags and Smart Folders
- Notes sit in folders and subfolders or carry typed or handwritten tags. Smart Folders collect notes by rules such as date created, checklists or attachments.
- Search and links between notes
- Search covers typed text, handwriting and the text inside scanned documents and photos. Notes can link to one another, with >> as a typing shortcut.
- Shared and locked notes
- Notes and folders can be shared with other iCloud users, with changes shown in real time and an Activity view. A note can be locked with the device passcode or a custom password.
Minimal
- Note Lifetime
- An optional setting archives notes left unedited for a chosen period. Reminders arrive before a note expires, pinning or editing keeps it alive, and expired notes can be restored.
- Collaborative notes
- A note can be shared as view-only or editable, by invitation or public link, and several people can edit at once. Collaborative notes sync with offline support.
- Publish as Website
- A note can be turned into a simple public web page in three taps, for example to publish an essay written in the app.
- Todo lists and Calendar
- Todo items have checkable boxes, and a list can sync with Apple's Calendar app, where each item becomes an event with its own start time, end time and alerts.
- Markdown-style formatting
- Headers, lists, bold, italics, block quotes and pull quotes are typed with special characters. A folder is created by typing its name between curly brackets.
- Sync, import and export
- Notes sync through iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. They export as PDF, HTML and Markdown, and text and links come in through the system share sheet.
Plans
Apple Notes
Free$0
Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus browser access at iCloud.com.
Minimal
Minimal Monthly$4.99
per month
Membership for one person, billed monthly through the App Store after the 2-week free trial.
Minimal Annual$49.99
per year
The same membership billed once a year after the 2-week free trial.
Minimal Family Plan$79.99
per year
Shares Minimal with up to 6 family members through Apple's Family Sharing, after a 2-week free trial.
Team plansCustom
For workplaces that want to share Minimal across a team; arranged by writing to the vendor.
Ways to pay less
Apple Notes
No public discounts listed.
Minimal
- Annual discount
About 16.5% off with annual billing
Minimal costs $49.99 a year against $4.99 a month, which comes to $59.88 over 12 months, a saving of about 16.5%.
- Education
Up to 80% off for students and educators
The pricing section says students and educators can save up to 80% on an annual plan by getting in touch with the vendor.
- Nonprofit
Up to 80% off for non-profit employees
The same discount of up to 80% on an annual plan is offered to non-profit employees who contact the vendor.
