Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Simplenote

The simplest way to keep notes. Light, clean, and free. Simplenote is now available for iOS, Android, Mac, and the web.

Simplenote

Simplenote Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether Simplenote is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • Simplenote Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-15

Features & Specs

  1. Ease of Use

    Simplenote offers a very straightforward and minimalistic interface, making it easy for new users to pick up and start using immediately.

  2. Free of Cost

    Simplenote is completely free to use, which makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious users.

  3. Real-time Sync

    Notes are automatically synchronized across all devices in real-time, providing a seamless experience across multiple platforms.

  4. Multi-platform Support

    Simplenote is available on various platforms including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and through a web browser.

  5. Version History

    Simplenote provides version history for notes, allowing users to revert to previous versions if needed.

  6. Markdown Support

    Simplenote supports Markdown, enabling users to format their notes with ease.

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Videos

Simplenote Review

Simplenote: Note-taking Web/Mobile App | Review

Reviews

  1. User avatar
    FossFox
     
    Basic

    I've started with Simplenote years ago, at the time I was happy but it became clear pretty quickly that it was too basic. But to be fair, it's basic and free. Keep in mind it's unencrypted.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: PrivacyNotes, Standard Notes, Joplin
  2.  
    Exceptional for what its doing

    Was looking for an alternative for OneNote, so I found it here. I like how simple the interface is and the UI is very simple. It's good for what it is, but there is no sorting/topic system which makes it difficult to find specific notes for specific topics. Other than that, it's a good note system.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: OneNote, Evernote
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Lots of functionalities|Easy user interface|Easy to use|Simple
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    No groups for notes|No sorting notes

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Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about Simplenote and what they use it for.
  • Ask HN: What will the WordPress meltdown mean for Automattic's other products?
    I've been looking to migrate away from https://simplenote.com to something else and I've been dragging my feet. However, what's happened in the past 2 weeks with the CEO was the push I needed to resume looking for another solution. I've landed on Obsidian.md. I actually prefer Simplenote over Obisidian, because Simplenote feels smoother and the online web app is great, but I've decided that having more control... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What note taking app do you use and why?
    I use https://simplenote.com - Syncs across multiple platforms. - Plaintext based (with MD support). - Search + edit UI similar to https://notational.net and https://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt - Simple to publish/share notes - Free (as in beer and speech) --- If I used MacOS or there were web versions, I would love to use the following (they are all better at plaintext than SimpleNote): -... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Anybody have problems with bookmark organization like me?
    Bookmarks serve two purposes: - Quick access to commonly used links. For this, I built https://multi-launch.leftium.com - Saving a link for future reference. Often I want to also save plain text notes for future reference, so find myself using https://simplenote.com I have also used https://www.bkmks.com to save links. I'm working on an app that will help save and organize everything: bookmarks, notes, and tasks. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Looking for a simple note taking tool
    It doesn't meet the poster's needs, but Simplenote is still a thing for people who want text-only notes, Markdown, and easy access to plain text files. It got acquired by Automattic a few years back. https://simplenote.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Show HN: I built a note-taking app integrated with calendar and to-do list
    Https://noteplan.co is a very similar app. Unfortunately I couldn't use it because it was limited to iOS devices (a web version is in development). - One thing missing in craftnote is search. That is a must-have feature for me. - I also like being able to publicly share notes with a (short) URL. See https://simplenote.com for an example of how this is done. Nice job with allowing your app to be usable without... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: How do you store your knowledge?
    It's not perfect, but I use https://simplenote.com/ Someday I will build my own clone of Simplenote/Notational Velocity/Taskpaper/Drafts/Bkmks.com... 1. From mobile browser, share to Simplenote adds a new note with title + url. 2. Not often. 3. Not often. 4. Also Simplenote. Also used Notational Velocity: one note per JIRA ticket. 5. I wish Simplenote's tagging system were better (more like TaskPaper) - I wish it... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • NvAlt: MultiMarkdown Notational Velocity fork with Markdown editing and preview
    Note nvUltra, the successor to this program, has been in development/private beta for several years[1,2]. I've been meaning to make my own web-based version of Notational Velocity that adds a few novel features of my own. (Plus inspiration from apps like TaskPaper and Drafts) There are a lot of Notational Velocity clones; currently my favorite is: https://simplenote.com/ [1]:... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Apple Notes has jumped the shark, what should I replace it with?
    I'm still happy with Apple Notes for its integration with all of Apple Apps, easy sharing with family members, etc. I have tamed it more as an ephemeral and quick Notes App. The notes that starts there are usually transferred to a more permanent and organized Plain-Text setup[1] (currently guardian-ed by Obsidian). If I had to replace Apple Notes, I'd look at either one of these; - https://simplenote.com -... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: How do you organize your life?
    Write things down! All the weird things and ideas, put them into categories and write them down. This categories can also have a to do list. Use some kind of calendar. Try to not read the news on the internet too much. Use a RSS reader. Notes: Simplenote https://simplenote.com/ I use it with nvpy on Linux https://pypi.org/project/nvpy/ Calendar: https://www.rainlendar.net/ Tiny Tiny RSS Reader for selfhosting:... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Beaver Notes: A Privacy-Focused Open-Source Note-Taking App
    - How do I get my data OUT of this thing, if I decide it isnโ€™t right for me? C) If youโ€™re going to go down the โ€œunlike other note-taking platformsโ€ route, it might be valuable to explicitly help people make the comparison in terms of features/approaches/architecture/trade-offs etc. How should one compare this against [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md)? [Simplenote](https://simplenote.com)?... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Best free cross-platform note taking app?
    In the past I used the beautiful Zoho Notes. It's good but I experienced sync issues sometimes. OneNote is good but I hate the UI. StandardNotes is nice, but very expensive once you want the paid features. SimpleNote OK too, but too basic imo. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Best Writing Apps?
    I've used Simplenote for years. Clutter free, distraction free, and actually free - it works in a browser and my phone so I can write on any device, anywhere, online or when I'm intentionally disconnected. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Best note taking app that works offline and online and works seamlessly between Mac and Android?
    I think Simplenote could be what youโ€™re looking for. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Joplin awareness
    Thus I'd rather recommend Notesnook, Obsidian or Simplenote โ€” or any other solution that has basic features like a background sync. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What's a software you searched to selfhost but is still missing to you ?
    An slim note-taking app, syncing flawlessly, with a history and an Android App like https://simplenote.com. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Scared of sepsis canโ€™t sleep
    Simplenote is an easy-to-use cross-platform software application that's free to use. Source: over 3 years ago
  • โŸณ 2 apps added, 15 updated at apt.izzysoft.de
    Simplenote (version 155): keep notes, lists, ideas and more. Source: over 3 years ago
  • What states provide assistance for people with DMD?
    If recording the information digitally and working from tablet or phone, Simplenote is a great application to use. This is especially true if using to differing OS's and platforms, such as your phone(s) and a laptop or desktop computers. Simplenote runs on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, or in the browser. It allows simultaneous logins, the information is constantly updated between platforms. It too is a... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Syncing is repeatedly failing between iOS, Android phone and Mac Laptop - can't find any info online to troubleshoot, force sync etc. Any clues?
    Hi! Just to follow up on this - are you able to log in on the web app at simplenote.com? If so, do you see any correctly-synchronised notes in there? If there's anything missing, definitely first copy/paste notes from your device app to the web app to make sure they're saved in the web app and therefore on our servers. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Ask HN: Best way to version control your notes or documents?
    Https://simplenote.com/ automatically stores history for each note: > Notes are backed up with every change, so you can see what you noted last week or last month. I have used this feature, but only very rarely. It would be nice if SimpleNote could also search the note history, too. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • Need easy to use note app
    Https://simplenote.com/ should work. It allows for more organization via folders and tags if you want it later. Source: over 3 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of Simplenote

Simplenote: A Comprehensive Insight into Public Opinion

Simplenote has carved out a notable position in the realm of note-taking applications, appealing to users who prioritize simplicity and ease of use. This lightweight tool, created by Automattic, has largely been appreciated for its core functionality and accessibility, making it a favored choice for users aiming for a distraction-free note-taking experience. The software appears across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, and the web, further adding to its versatility.

Simplicity and User Experience

The overarching sentiment around Simplenote is its hallmark characteristic: simplicity. Numerous reviews and user feedback emphasize the app's clean and minimalist interface. This straightforward approach is particularly attractive to those who find themselves overwhelmed by the rich feature sets of competitors like Evernote and OneNote. Simplenote remains true to its name, offering basic note-taking features without inundating users with options that could potentially detract from the user experience.

Features and Functionality

Despite its simplicity, Simplenote offers several useful features. Users have commended its powerful synchronization capabilities, allowing seamless access to notes across devices. The markdown support is another well-received feature, which caters to users who prefer plaintext formatting with light styling. Note revision histories are also supported, enabling users to revert notes to previous states, a functionality appreciated by those who manage evolving information.

The app supports tags for organizing notes, albeit with pointed feedback about the potential for improvement. Users have expressed a desire for more robust tagging systems akin to those found in competitors, suggesting that Simplenote could become even more efficient in organizing large volumes of notes with a few enhancements in this area.

Public Perception and Comparisons

Simplenote consistently earns mention in articles listing alternatives to other note-taking apps, often highlighted for its straightforward and efficient approach compared to more feature-rich competitors like Evernote and Google Keep. For instance, it is favored as a minimalist alternative to Obsidian, particularly for those who do not require advanced features such as web clipping or rich text formatting but value the immediacy and speed of a plain-text based system.

The application's compatibility with markdown and emphasis on swift note creation have kept it competitive with similar apps like Joplin and Standard Notes. However, while it offers a no-cost solution for basic note-taking needs, some users point to it as โ€œtoo basicโ€ when advanced functionalities become necessary.

Feedback and Areas for Improvement

Though Simplenoteโ€™s simplicity is often praised, it's not without its criticisms. Some users express a longing for additional features that align with emerging needs or preferences, such as better export options and enhanced tagging systems. Furthermore, a few users have encountered issues with synchronization across platforms, highlighting the need for improvements in this area.

Moreover, while it remains free to all users, the introduction of a subscription optionโ€”as Simplenote Sustainerโ€”at $19.99 per month or $199.99 a year, has raised questions about future directions and monetization strategies, even as the core features remain accessible without charge.

Conclusion

Overall, Simplenote has established itself as a reliable tool for those seeking a streamlined note-taking solution, without the bulk and complexity of more feature-rich platforms. While there is room for enhancement, particularly in organizing capabilities and cross-device syncing reliability, the public opinion largely credits Simplenote as an efficient and intuitive option for basic text-based note management.

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Is Simplenote good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss Simplenote here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.