Home Productivity & NotesSimplenote

Simplenote

Productivity & Notes

4.0(13 ratings)

80% recommend

Simplenote is a free note-taking app that helps you organize your thoughts effortlessly.

Try Simplenote Free

No credit card required

See alternatives

About Simplenote

Best for minimalists who want fast, free, cross-platform note-taking.

Simplenote is a free, minimalist note-taking application developed by Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com). It focuses on fast, distraction-free writing with instant syncing across all devices, including web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux. The app strips away formatting complexity in favor of plain text and Markdown support, making it appealing to writers, developers, and anyone who values speed and simplicity. Its tagging system and full-text search make it easy to organize and retrieve notes without a complicated folder structure.

Pros

Completely free with no premium tier required
Lightweight and extremely fast across all platforms
Real-time syncing works reliably across devices
Available on virtually every major platform
Built-in version history and note recovery

Cons

No support for images, files, or rich media
Limited formatting options beyond basic Markdown
No folder or notebook organization structure
Lacks advanced collaboration and team features

Use Cases

Best for quickly jotting down ideas and thoughts on any device

Best for developers and writers who prefer Markdown-based note-taking

Best for students organizing lecture notes with tags and search

Best for maintaining personal to-do lists and reference notes across platforms

Key Features

5 features

Markdown support for formatting notes

Real-time collaboration with others

Tagging system for easy organization

Cross-platform synchronization

Version history for note recovery

SaasHunter Score

7.8/10

“You're an individual or a small team looking for a completely free and straightforward note-taking solution.”

Ease of Use

9.0

Features

7.0

Pricing

10.0

Support

6.0

Integrations

7.0

Best For

Freelancers 8Small Business 7Agencies 6Startups 6Enterprise 5

Integrations

WordPressSimperiumZapierElectron (desktop apps)GitHub (open-source clients)

Productivity Notes Minimalist Note Taking Traditional Note Taking

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Simplenote?

Simplenote is a free, minimalist note-taking app by Automattic that syncs plain-text and Markdown notes instantly across all major platforms including web, mobile, and desktop.

How much does Simplenote cost?

Simplenote is completely free to use with no paid tiers or premium plans. All features, including syncing and version history, are available at no cost.

What are the main features of Simplenote?

Key features include instant cross-device syncing, Markdown support, tagging for organization, full-text search, note sharing via links, version history to restore previous edits, and a distraction-free writing interface.

Who should use Simplenote?

Simplenote is ideal for individuals who want a fast, no-frills note-taking tool without the complexity of apps like Notion or Evernote. It's particularly well-suited for writers, developers, and anyone who prefers plain text.