ColorNote vs Notes.io (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Notes.io grades higher than ColorNote: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ColorNote grades higher on features. Notes.io grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ColorNote
Android notepad for color-coded notes and checklists
Free plan · from $1.99
Which one is for you
Pick ColorNote if
- Fits if you want a plain notepad on Android and nothing more
- Works for shopping lists that should sit on the home screen as a sticky note
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you own an iPhone, a Mac or a PC, as it only runs on Android, and the FAQ points PC users to an emulator
- Not for you if you might switch apps later, since notes can't be opened in other programs and email is the only way out
- Tight if you want to know what premium costs, as Google Play doesn't say what each $1.99 to $15.99 item is or how it's billed
- Watch out: a forgotten master password can't be recovered, and clearing it loses every note locked with it
Pick Notes.io if
- Fits if you want to jot something down and send a link without signing up
- Works for passing a snippet of text to someone on another device
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for real note-keeping: no folders, tags or search are described
- Skip it if the note is private, as the pages say little about the privacy of shared notes
- Watch out: the short link covers notes up to 18 KB, and longer ones need you to sign in or trim them
- Not for you if you want an app, as there is only the website
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAColorNoteFair | 2.8GPANotes.ioGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThere's no usable price on record. Google Play shows in-app purchases from $1.99 to $15.99 an item, with no billing period and no list of what each one is, and an unpublished price is exactly where this middling grade belongs. | AFree, with no paid plan published anywhere on the site we read. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe free install is the notepad itself: text notes, checklists, colour groups, reminders, widgets, note lock and backup, with no cap named anywhere. The only premium features Google Play names are a writing assistant and a grammar checker. | AThe site says it has been free since it started and needs no account to write and share a note. |
| Features | CNotes, checklists, colour groups, repeating reminders, status bar pins, a calendar view, a master password and AES-encrypted online sync. The basics, then the gaps the listing names itself: notes open in no other program, email is the only way out, and a forgotten master password takes the locked notes with it. | DOne narrow function: write a note, share it by link and keep an archive. No folders, tags, search or apps are described. |
| Ease of use | BTwo note types, some colours and a widget. There's not much here to learn. It isn't on iPhone and we have no store rating on record, so the listing is all we're going on. | BNo store rating on record. Open the page and type, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | DOne operating system. The FAQ says there's no version for other phones or for PCs and points at the BlueStacks emulator if you want it on a computer. Sync keeps an Android phone and tablet in step, and that's the lot. | CWeb only, with no apps, extension or integrations listed. |
| Best for | a plain Android notepad with sticky-note widgets | a quick note you can share with a link |
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: ColorNote and Notes.io. How we grade
Where they differ
- ColorNote also covers linked notes, tasks and calendar.
- Notes.io also covers file sharing.
In commonFree planNotes
At a glance
| ColorNote | Notes.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $1.99 - $15.99 per item (in-app purchases; billing basis not shown) | Free |
| Free plan | Free to install. The Google Play listing names only a writing assistant and grammar checker as premium features and does not say what else the paid version adds. | The site says it has been free since it started and needs no account to write and share a note. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Social & Mobile, Inc. | Metromedya |
| Price read from | play.google.com | notes.io |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ColorNote
- Android only: the FAQ says there is no version for other mobile systems or for PCs and suggests the BlueStacks emulator on a computer.
- Google Play shows in-app purchases of $1.99 to $15.99 per item without saying what each item is or how it is billed.
- Notes cannot be opened in other programs, and the FAQ's only route to another operating system is sending notes by email.
- A forgotten master password cannot be recovered; clearing it loses the notes that were locked with it.
Notes.io
- Links shorten only notes up to 18 KB; longer notes need you to sign in or trim them.
- The pages describe no folders, tags, search or apps, only writing, sharing and an archive.
- The site publishes no paid plans, and its pages say little about privacy of shared notes.
Key features
ColorNote
- Text notes and checklists
- Text notes hold free-form writing, and checklists cover to-do and shopping lists whose items are checked off with a tap.
- Color-coding
- Notes are sorted into color groups. Each group can be given a name and shows how many notes it holds.
- Reminders and status bar pins
- A note can have a time, all-day or repeating reminder, or be pinned to the Android status bar so it stays in view.
- Home screen widgets
- Sticky-note widgets put individual notes on the Android home screen.
- Calendar view
- Notes can be attached to dates on a calendar, and the app raises a reminder for a note on the date it was assigned to.
- Note lock and backup
- A master password locks individual notes. Notes back up to device storage or to the online sync service, which encrypts them with AES before upload.
Notes.io
- No account to start
- Open the page and write; a note can be created and shared without signing up.
- Short share links
- Each note gets a link with an 8-character address that can be sent by SMS, email or a messaging app.
- Any device with a browser
- Notes are taken in the browser, so there is nothing to install on a phone or computer.
- Archive of your notes
- The site describes an archive of past notes that can be browsed quickly.
Plans
ColorNote
ColorNote$0
Free install from Google Play, with text notes, checklists, color groups, reminders, widgets, note lock and backup among the listed features.
Premium (in-app purchases)$1.99 - $15.99
per item; the billing basis is not shown on Google Play
The listing's release notes place a writing assistant and grammar checker in the premium version. The individual items are not itemized.
Notes.io
Free$0
Write and share notes in the browser without an account; sign in for notes over 18 KB.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ColorNote or Notes.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ColorNote starts at $1.99 - $15.99 per item (in-app purchases; billing basis not shown), and Notes.io is free.
Which has a free plan, ColorNote or Notes.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ColorNote and Notes.io have a free plan.
Which platforms do ColorNote and Notes.io run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ColorNote lists an Android app and only Notes.io lists a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.