Minimal vs Simplenote
We give Minimal a 2.6 GPA and Simplenote a 3.8, out of 4.0. Simplenote grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
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
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAMinimalGood | 3.8GPASimplenoteExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AIt's free. There's no paid plan at all, where paid plans in this category typically start at $5.99 a month. Sync, backups, sharing and version history are all part of the one free account. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AEverything is free: the apps, syncing, backups and sharing. Automattic says it puts no limit on how many notes you keep. You do need an account, mind. It won't run without one. |
| Features | 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. | BSync, tags, pins, search as you type, version history, Markdown, checklists and links between notes. Good basics. But notes are text only, with no images or files attached, and they aren't encrypted at rest. |
| Ease of use | 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. | A4.75 from about 4,300 App Store ratings. There's no sync button to press and no folders to set up. You type, you tag, you search. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | AiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and the web, which is everything most people own. A note can also be published to a public link, and WordPress.com is listed as an integration. |
| Best for | a quiet page where old notes clear themselves out | 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: Minimal and Simplenote. How we grade
Where they differ
- Minimal starts at $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year. Simplenote is free.
- Simplenote has a free plan. Minimal does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Simplenote lists a web app.
- Only Simplenote lists Android, Windows and Linux apps.
- Simplenote is open source, according to its own site.
- Minimal also covers tasks.
- Simplenote also covers linked notes.
At a glance
| Minimal | Simplenote | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year | Free |
| Free plan | None | Everything is free: the apps, backups, syncing and sharing. Automattic says it places no restriction on the number of notes. |
| Free trial | 2-week free trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Timeless LLC | Automattic |
| Price read from | minimal.app | simplenote.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Simplenote
- Plain-text notes synced across phone, desktop and browser at no cost
- People who prefer tags and search over folders
- Publishing a note to a public web link
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Simplenote
Free$0
Every app and feature, including sync, version history, collaboration and publishing, with a Simplenote account.
Ways to pay less
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.
Simplenote
No public discounts listed.
