Flomo vs Simplenote (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Simplenote grades higher than Flomo: 3.4 against 3.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Flomo grades higher on platforms. Simplenote grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. 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.
Which one is for you
Pick Flomo if
- Fits if you jot thoughts down from WeChat and review them later
- Works for Chinese readers who want capture and review, not an all-in-one workspace
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you can't read Chinese, because the site and help centre have no English version
- Tight if you stay free: 500MB of storage, compressed images and no review tools
- Watch out: prices are in yuan, with no dollar price, and the page says they may change
- Too light for long, formatted documents, as notes are short and plain
Pick Simplenote if
- Fits if you want plain notes on your phone, your computer and a browser for nothing
- Works for people who'd rather tag and search than build folders
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you keep photos, PDFs or scans in your notes, as it's text only
- Not for you if your notes are sensitive, since they aren't encrypted at rest and Automattic advises against it
- Too light for sharing a whole notebook, because notes are shared one at a time
- Watch out: you can't use it at all without a Simplenote account
- Tight if you want it connected to other tools, as WordPress.com is the only integration on the listing
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFlomoVery good | 3.4GPASimplenoteVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APRO is 99 yuan a year and MAX 299 yuan, both far under the $5.99 a month the category's middle plan costs. Prices are in yuan only, and the page says they may change. | AFree outright, with no paid plan at all, where paid plans in this category sit at $6 a month in the middle. Sync, backups, sharing and version history are all part of the one free account. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree accounts get notes, multi-level tags, search and sync on every platform, with 500MB for images and files; text doesn't count. One person can live on that. | AEverything is free: the apps, syncing, backups and sharing, and Automattic says it puts no limit on how many notes you keep. There's no cap here to walk into. You do need an account, mind. It won't run without one. |
| Features | CCapture, tags, search and voice notes. The review tools, API and MCP connection are PRO, and notes are short and plain, with no formatting. | CSync, tags, pins, search as you type, version history, Markdown, checklists, links between notes and publishing to a public link. But the listing names the gap plainly: notes are text only, so no image, PDF or scan goes in, and they aren't encrypted at rest. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Capture is quick, but the site and help centre are Chinese only, which is a hurdle for English readers. | A4.75 from about 4,300 App Store ratings, which is the top band. There's no sync button to press and no folders to set up. You type, you tag, you search. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, plus WeChat input, a developer API and an MCP connection for tools such as ChatGPT and Claude. | BiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and the web, which is everything most people own, and a note can be published to a public link. What holds it short of an A is the wiring: WordPress.com is the only integration on the listing. |
| Best for | quick short notes, especially via WeChat | free plain-text notes on every device |
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: Flomo and Simplenote. How we grade
Where they differ
- Simplenote is open source, according to its own site.
- Flomo also covers dictation.
- Simplenote also covers Markdown.
At a glance
| Flomo | Simplenote | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | ¥99 per year (PRO) | Free |
| Free plan | Free accounts can record notes and sync across all platforms, with 500MB of storage for images and files; text does not count toward storage. | Everything is free: the apps, backups, syncing and sharing. Automattic says it places no restriction on the number of notes. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | flomo | Automattic |
| Price read from | help.flomoapp.com | simplenote.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Flomo
- Prices are listed in Chinese yuan (CNY); no US dollar price was found.
- The site and help center are in Chinese; no English version was found.
- The free plan has 500MB of storage and compresses images.
- The page says benefits and prices may change and that the in-app membership page has the latest figures.
Simplenote
- Notes are text only: images, PDFs and other files cannot be attached, though Markdown can embed an image hosted elsewhere.
- Notes are encrypted in transit but not at rest, and Automattic advises against storing particularly sensitive information.
- An account is required; Simplenote cannot be used without one.
- Notes are shared one at a time, and an individual note cannot be hidden.
Key features
Flomo
- Fast capture
- Write short notes with no formatting through WeChat, the apps, the web or a browser extension.
- Tags and search
- Multi-level tags and search find earlier notes, and notes can reference each other.
- Review tools
- Daily review, random walk and a cognitive map resurface old notes; these are PRO features.
- AI features
- AI insights and related-note suggestions on PRO; MAX adds an Agent that reads your notes and chats in WeChat.
- Voice input
- Voice notes are turned into text; PRO allows 10 minutes per note and 500 minutes a month.
- API and MCP
- A developer API and an MCP connection let other tools, including ChatGPT and Claude, read or save notes.
Simplenote
- Automatic sync
- Notes stay updated across phones, computers and the web app automatically and in real time, with no sync button to press.
- Tags, pins and instant search
- Notes are organized with tags and pins, and search finds them as you type with keyword highlighting.
- Version history
- Notes are backed up with every change, so you can look back at what a note said last week or last month.
- Markdown
- Notes can be written, previewed and published in Markdown. The help center lists Markdown support on the web, Android, iOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Collaboration and publishing
- A note can be shared with another person by email address so both can edit it, or published to a public simp.ly link for read-only viewing.
- Checklists and internal links
- Notes can contain checklists with nested items, and internal links jump from one note to another.
Plans
Flomo
Free¥0
Notes, multi-level tags, search and sync on every platform, with 500MB of storage and compressed images.
PROÂ¥99
per year
20GB storage, daily review, random walk, cognitive map, related notes, password lock, 30-day version history, developer API, MCP connection, and 2 AI insight runs a day.
MAXÂ¥299
per year
500GB storage, the flomo Agent (Beta) with 1000 points a day, AI memory profile, 50 AI insight runs a day and longer voice notes on top of PRO.
Simplenote
Free$0
Every app and feature, including sync, version history, collaboration and publishing, with a Simplenote account.
Ways to pay less
Flomo
- Education
Student and teacher offer
The membership page says enrolled students, university teachers and recent graduates (within 2 years) can find an education offer in the membership center; availability depends on the app.
Simplenote
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Flomo or Simplenote?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Flomo starts at ¥99 per year (PRO), and Simplenote is free.
Which has a free plan, Flomo or Simplenote?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Flomo and Simplenote have a free plan.
Which platforms do Flomo and Simplenote run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Flomo lists a browser extension and only Simplenote lists a Linux app. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. 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.