Short answer
The difference is record versus manage: ScreenNote keeps what is inside screenshots and turns it into expenses, to-dos and searchable text, while ScreenStack manages the screenshots themselves, sorting, cleaning and finding them, and creates no notes. ScreenNote has iPhone and Mac versions with free core features and optional AI; ScreenStack is iPhone only, free for the basics, with a one-time Pro purchase.
The differences in one table
| Item | ScreenNote | ScreenStack |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Record: keep what is inside a screenshot as usable notes (expenses, to-dos, text) | Manage: sort, clean and find the screenshots themselves; no content is produced |
| What you get after import | Text recognized on the device (expandable and copyable); with AI, a title, summary and key points; payment screenshots become expense entries and ones with tasks become to-dos | Screenshots filed by purpose; codes, order numbers and amounts turned into searchable, copyable fields |
| How it sorts | By why you took the shot (Important / Favorites / Casual), plus modules such as expenses and to-dos | By purpose into Important / Favorites / Casual / To sort |
| Deleting and cleanup | Focused on keeping content, not on bulk cleanup | A receipt before deleting, soft delete into an in-app trash you can restore from; basic cleanup free, Pro adds look-alike detection and expired-code cleanup |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and Mac (macOS 13 or later), synced through iCloud | iPhone only (iOS 17 or later), no Mac version |
| Price | Free app, core features cost nothing; AI optional: official AI with a free monthly quota, Pro subscription afterwards, or your own third-party API key | Free to download, basic features free forever; Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription (CN price 25 yuan; the price in the app applies); AI enhancement needs your own key |
| Text recognition | Apple Vision, on the device | Apple Vision, on the device |
| Where data goes | With AI off, neither images nor text leave the device; sync uses your own private iCloud library | Original screenshots never leave the device; exceptions: BYO-key AI enhancement sends recognized text (never the image) to the platform you chose, and anonymous statistics can be switched off |
| Source (checked 2026-10-14) | App Store page · Privacy policy | App Store page · Privacy policy |
Why they get mixed up
Both are iPhone apps that read screenshots, run text recognition on the device so the words in an image become searchable, and file screenshots by purpose into groups like important, favorite and casual. The difference is the last step: ScreenNote turns a screenshot into content (an expense, a to-do, a block of copyable text), while ScreenStack treats the screenshot as the thing to manage (which group it belongs to, whether to keep it, and whether you get a receipt before deleting).
How to choose
- You want payment screenshots logged as expenses, tasks in chats turned into reminders and good content kept as searchable reference: ScreenNote.
- You have thousands of screenshots to sort and clean, want codes and order numbers one tap from copying, and want a receipt before deleting: ScreenStack.
- You also need it on a Mac: ScreenNote (ScreenStack has no Mac version).
- You want both jobs done: install both; they are independent apps.
For a wider comparison of iPhone screenshot organizers, see Which iPhone apps automatically sort screenshots?
FAQ
Can I install ScreenNote and ScreenStack together?
Yes. They are independent apps with their own libraries and settings; the choice is about whether you want to record or to manage, and it is not either-or.
Which one should I use just to free up space from screenshots?
ScreenStack. Basic cleanup is free forever, Pro adds look-alike detection and flags expired codes, and you get a receipt before deleting and can restore from the in-app trash.
Which one logs expenses and turns tasks into reminders?
ScreenNote. Payment screenshots are recognized on the device and logged under expenses; extracting tasks needs AI turned on (official AI or your own key).
Do both have a Mac version?
ScreenNote does (macOS 13 or later). ScreenStack does not; it is iPhone only.
