SimpleNote is a markdown-based (or plain text if you want,) text editing suite that syncs across all your devices. (no matter however many you have) looking at you evernote. It is built and maintained by the team that brought us WordPress. It’s promise is to deliver the most basic features (as well as a couple that make it unique) that allow you to get from the main screen to the end of your next note, hassle free and with as few taps/clicks as possible. I wrote this entire review on it (both desktop and mobile versions) so as to be sure of which features it has, as well as what it doesn’t. Enjoy!

Pros

  • Android/IOS mobile apps
  • Windows/MacOS/Linux desktop apps
  • Simple to use
  • Markdown on Title of note
  • Auto-saves (I’m not sure of the interval after typing but it seems very fast)
  • Note history
  • Can export to Drive or Dropbox from mobile app
  • Collaboration feature let’s you work on the same file with others
  • Tagging system for organising notes
  • Easy preview on mobile (just a swipe)
  • Just works (all you need to do is log in and start using it, from any device)

Cons

  • No cloud integration
  • Editor can be a little finicky to newcomers of markdown
  • No way to collapse notes on left in desktop app
  • No keyboard shortcuts or buttons to activate headers, lists, HRs, etc Except for the font-size changing
  • No Font style changing Although it must be said I like the font
  • No encryption
  • No live preview on desktop

Conclusion

Both the desktop app and the mobile app have this incredibly clean and consistent look and feel, but both have some major lacking features that other apps don’t

  • keyboard shortcuts (yes even on mobile)
  • Find in page
  • Live preview (at least on desktop)
  • Font style changing
  • Proper Dropbox /Drive integration
  • Toolbar for easy access to markdown formatting

However SimpleNote has some truly great features that I haven’t seen on any other apps:

  • Real time collaboration built in
  • Note history (which works beautifully)
  • Light /Dark themes
  • Export notes to anywhere you want

Post-review

Having said all this, it’s still not perfect and I am continuing the search for the real perfect note taking experience that has all the following features:

  • Desktop AND Mobile apps
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Live preview (as well as easy preview on mobile)
  • Markdown
  • Light /Dark theme
  • Font size changing
  • Font style changing
  • Dropbox /Drive integration
  • E2E Encryption
  • Solid design that looks pleasing to the eye
  • Easy to use organisation system
  • Auto-Format (inserting dashes in lists)

While my search continues, I will be posting reviews on all the apps that get as close to this as possible, trying to deliver comprehensively, which features they include and which they are lacking in.

Remember all reviews share opinions, which means that they are biased, while I try to remain un-biased, there is no such thing as an un-biased review. Everything I list as a feature is a fact, which means you can trust that it has/ doesn’t have it. All the text in between is my opinion and all opinions are subjective. I try to remain neutral by only including pros and cons which I think are relevant to you, the reader. If you made it this far, well done, this review is now finished

Fin