Apple Notes vs Strflow
We give Apple Notes a 3.8 GPA and Strflow a 3.2, out of 4.0. Apple Notes grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Strflow
Chat-style notes timeline for iPhone, iPad and Mac
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAApple NotesExcellent | 3.2GPAStrflowVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AStrflow Plus is $1.49 a month or $14.99 a year, about as cheap as paid note apps get. Lifetime is $37.99 if you'd rather pay once. What it buys is encrypted iCloud sync and backup, plus private tags locked behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. |
| 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. | BUnlimited notes, tags, reminders and attachments, free, with no account. The limit is one device: sync and backup both need Plus, so free notes on your iPhone never reach your Mac. Plus has a free trial, though the site doesn't say how long. |
| 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. | ANotes sent like messages into a timeline, a timeline per tag, a Todo timeline, and notes you can schedule to come back later with a notification. Rich text, links between notes, attachments, Markdown export and Spotlight search are all in. OCR, voice recording and a calendar view are still on the roadmap. |
| 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. | BNo rating on record, so a B is our ceiling. If you can send a text you can use this: type, send, done. There's no account to make and nothing to file first. |
| 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 Vision, with Apple Shortcuts, widgets and the share sheet for getting notes in. All Apple, though. There's no Windows, Android or web version. |
| Best for | free notes if you only use Apple devices | texting notes to yourself on Apple devices |
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 Strflow. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apple Notes is free. Strflow starts at $1.49 per month, or $14.99 per year.
- Only Apple Notes lists a web app.
- Apple Notes also covers transcription and linked notes.
- Strflow also covers tasks.
At a glance
| Apple Notes | Strflow | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $1.49 per month, or $14.99 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. | Unlimited notes, tags, reminders and attachments on one device, with no account. Sync and backup across devices need Strflow Plus. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of Strflow Plus; the site does not state its length |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Shingo Eguchi |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | strflow.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
Strflow
- People who already text themselves notes, links and to-dos
- Jotting thoughts down on iPhone or Mac without filing them first
- Apple users who want notes kept on device or in their own iCloud
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.
Strflow
- The App Store listing covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision only; there is no Windows, Android or web version.
- Sync and backup between devices need Strflow Plus; the free plan keeps notes on one device.
- End-to-end encryption applies only when the user has turned on iCloud's Advanced Data Protection.
- Private tags are limited to Strflow Plus, and the roadmap still lists OCR, voice recording and a calendar view as planned or under consideration.
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.
Strflow
- Chat-style timeline
- Notes are typed into a message box and sent, which builds a chronological timeline. Adding tags creates separate timelines for individual topics.
- To-do timeline and reminders
- Checklists are collected into a dedicated Todo timeline. A note can be scheduled for a future date; it stays hidden until then and arrives with a notification.
- Capture from anywhere
- Notes can be added from the share sheet, from widgets, through Apple Shortcuts actions, or on the Mac with a keyboard shortcut that opens a quick note panel.
- Rich text and attachments
- The editor handles inline and block formatting, checklists, links between notes and link previews. Images and other file types such as PDFs and videos can be attached.
- Encrypted iCloud sync
- Strflow Plus syncs and backs up notes through iCloud, encrypted with the iCloud Keychain. With Apple's Advanced Data Protection turned on, the data is end-to-end encrypted.
- Markdown export and Spotlight search
- All notes can be exported as Markdown. Notes, tags, link previews and attachment file names can be found through Spotlight on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
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.
Strflow
Free$0
Unlimited notes on a single device with all core features, including tags, reminders and attachments. No account needed.
Strflow Plus (Monthly)$1.49
per month
Encrypted iCloud sync and backup across iPhone, iPad and Mac, plus private tags locked behind Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode.
Strflow Plus (Annual)$14.99
per year
The same Strflow Plus features as the monthly plan, billed once a year through the App Store.
Strflow Plus (Lifetime)$37.99
one-time purchase
Non-renewing purchase of Strflow Plus. The US App Store also lists a $27.99 lifetime price for people who have paid for a yearly subscription.
Ways to pay less
Apple Notes
No public discounts listed.
Strflow
- Annual discount
About 16% off with annual billing
Strflow Plus costs $14.99 a year against $1.49 a month, which comes to $17.88 over 12 months, a saving of about 16%.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Strflow Plus for $37.99
A one-time, non-renewing purchase gives permanent access to Strflow Plus. The terms say a discounted lifetime price may be offered to people who have paid for a yearly subscription.
