Simplenote reviews
What users love and hate · 500 reviews analyzed · ★ 3.4
A free cross-platform plain-text notepad with instant sync — yet the mandatory account wall on entry and chronic sync and cursor bugs turn its «simplicity» into a source of frustration.
What users love
A bridge out of Apple's ecosystem onto Android — the precise niche it fills
The key winning segment is people caught between worlds: switched from iPhone to Android, or running a Mac alongside an Android phone. Apple Notes is off-limits to them, heavyweight Joplin/Obsidian scares them off on UI, and Simplenote delivers exactly the «Apple Notes feel» with instant sync on any platform. For these users it isn't «one of the notepads» but the only solution to their specific cross-platform access problem.
I love this app. It's the closest thing I can find to the Apple Notes app that I can use with an Android and MacBook combination and have all my notes sync.
Currently switched from the Apple ecosystem and wanted to get that functional simplicity. I tried Joplin as a FOSS alternative to Apple Notes, but the UI and UX were a bit much. This app is perfect for my needs
I really love that it syncs everything and how easy it is to understand.
Free, ad-free, no subscriptions forever
Users' core love: unlimited notes on unlimited devices, zero ads and zero paywalls. Many can't believe years in that this quality is given away, and thank the Automattic team for keeping the app free.
very fast sync just like notes of ios but cross-platform no ads no subscription
I'm not sure why simplenote isn't rated better. Been using it for years on both browser and phone and it's great considering you have unlimited notes across unlimited devices for free.
Best notes app..without any ad or paid subscription..!!!! Good job team.
Instant cross-platform sync, when it works
When sync behaves, it's almost magical: edits land on phone, tablet and PC in seconds, and you can watch text change in real time. This is exactly why people pick Simplenote as a bridge between devices.
Finally an app that works. I needed something to sync between my android phone and my PC. Simplenote works perfectly. I can watch on the PC as I edit on my phone.
Used for years on two phones and four computers. Works perfectly and data sync between devices is incredibly fast.
very fast sync just like notes of ios but cross-platform no ads no subscription
Clean, distraction-free simplicity — the reason people stay
The minimalist, no-frills interface is the main draw for those who just want to open, type and close. People call it the best replacement for Apple Notes and Evernote precisely because nothing extra gets in the way.
perfect app in my opinion. It's exactly what I wanted it to be: A simple note taking app that is easy to use.
literally simple note, finally! i was lookin' for a simple note without useless customization and features and heavy ui and real time sync and i think finally i've found it.
doesnt absolutely fry your brain like one note or word, genuinely very simple amazing layout.
What users hate
Sign-up wall before the first note
People are furious that a «simple note» app demands an account and email before you can type a single word. Many uninstall on the spot without ever reaching the notes: there's no «skip» option and no Google sign-in.
The app can NOT be used at all unless the user log ins or signs up for some account somewhere!
I don't know how an app calling itself "the simplest" can put up a login wall before you are allowed to take notes.
wanted a simple text editor, not a complicated log in process and another agreement to data mine.
Cursor jumps to the end of the note while typing
The most hated bug: pause for a couple of seconds while editing (especially on the Samsung keyboard or in checklists) and the screen jumps to the very bottom of the note. The complaints stretch back years with no fix, making the app «practically unusable» for writing.
keeps jumping to end of note when typing..annoying...
Every time you type in a note, if you hesitate for just 2-3 seconds, it jumps to the bottom of the note.
Please fix the "auto-scrolling down to the last line of the note" bug interaction with Samung keyboard predictive text. This has been an issue for years and it makes Simplenote android unusable.
Sync breaks and loses data
The headline feature — sync — is also the headline pain: notes fail to match across devices, revert to old versions, or vanish entirely. People describe losing hours of work, text duplicated thousands of times, and fresh edits overwritten by stale ones.
I wrote 2 words on a new line and it copy & pasted those 2 words 62 THOUSANDS TIMES! It completely broke the whole app and it deleted all my notes in the process.
Lost my 2 hours of yesterday's night work of text editing. Woke up in the morning and found only old variants of text both on phone and laptop.
I hit the back button, and every one of my notes was gone. Totally blank. Would not trust.
The account wall repels the very users the «simple» brand attracts
Self-selection works against the product: the name «Simplenote» attracts people who want an «open and write» notepad, yet the very first screen demands an email and account with no explanation. These users don't dig further — they leave feeling the promise was broken and are primed against it. The brand promises simplicity while the funnel plants a barrier exactly where simplicity is most expected.
doesn't seem easy or simple, why are you even asking me to open an account, I just wanted to save a note. deleting.
This makes SimpleNote onboarding ironically complicated
wanted a simple text editor, not a complicated log in process and another agreement to data mine.
No Undo/Redo button
The missing undo is a recurring plea: accidentally delete a big chunk of text and there's no way back except digging through version history, which rolls back more than intended. For a basic editor this feels like a missing fundamental.
no undo? if you select all to click copy, and you hit delete, there is no undo action??
please add an 'undo feature' and 'clear the entire note with one click'!
Everything is great, but I wish there was an undo button/gesture since going to history and restoring an earlier version most of the time undoes way more changes than it needed to.
Search can't find inside a note
Search scans across all notes but can't find and highlight a word inside a single long note — you have to scroll manually. For those holding large texts, this is repeatedly the reason they walk away.
The one thing that stops me over and over is the search function. ALL the notes can be searched. But I can not search inside a note.
Tapping on search result does not open the note at position of the searched (highlighted) text, i have to always scroll up to see it.
Search works pretty bad. It finds the notes that contain the search item but hardly ever point at the item.
Feels abandoned and dated
Loyal long-time users worry the app has frozen: no updates for years, support silent on tickets, known bugs lingering for months. Against Notion and Obsidian it feels «stuck in 2016».
Simplenotes should see we are in 2025 and we have Notion, Obsidian, Notesnook and Standard Notes and not in 2016, since when I started using it.
The app has seemingly been abandoned and it feels barebones in today's market. Much wasted potential, but still a solid, simple app.
Apparently the developer no longer provides user support.
No images or attachments
The plain-text nature is the main ceiling for many: you can't insert a photo, PDF or scan, though it's constantly requested. Some users say outright they'll leave or stick with rivals purely over the lack of media.
no correct straight possibility to include picture into note; lame one described in help not working too
I love the minimalistic feel of this app. it's perfect for me except for the fact that I can't add images to my notes
unable to attach media, atleast image am using simple app since 2 years, but am in a situation to see other alternative apps