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Simplenote vs Apple Notes: catalog facts
Simplenote	Apple Notes
Free The software is free under its open-source licence. Hosting, hardware and external…	Free Free, bundled with macOS and iOS.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	macOS, iOS
Syncing is free and unlimited across every platform, notes keep a version history, and the whole thing stays…	Comes preinstalled and free on every Apple device OCR lets you search text inside scanned images and photos
There is no encryption of note contents on Automattic's servers, and no attachments, folders or rich formatting.	Tied to the Apple ecosystem with no native Windows or Android app Lacks the structured databases and linking found in dedicated knowledge-base apps
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.