Apple’s Contacts app is a solid address book. Starrise Contacts works on the very same contacts and adds what the built-in app leaves out: a memory for every person, reminders, and a nudge to stay in touch.
Updated October 2026
Same contacts, more to do with them
Starrise Contacts is not a second address book. It reads and edits the contacts on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, whether they live in iCloud, Google or Exchange. Change a phone number in Starrise and it changes in Apple Contacts, and the other way round. You can keep using both.
Feature by feature
| Apple Contacts | Starrise Contacts | |
|---|---|---|
| Notes | One free-text field per contact | Any number of dated notes per contact, with formatting, searchable across everyone |
| Birthday reminders | Through the Birthdays calendar in Calendar | Built in, at the time you choose |
| Anniversaries | Saved as a date on the contact | Overview of upcoming anniversaries with reminders |
| Keep in Touch reminders | No | Yes (Pro) |
| To-dos per contact, with reminders | No | Yes (Pro) |
| Gift ideas | No | Yes |
| Map of all contacts | No | Yes |
| Sort by last created, last opened, city or age | No | Yes |
| Quick actions for WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal | No | Yes |
| Calendar events with a contact | No | Yes |
| Name days | No | Yes (Pro) |
| Business card scanner | No | Yes (Pro) |
| Price | Free, built in | Free; Pro $0.99/month or $5.99/year |
A notes timeline for every person
In Apple Contacts, every contact has a single notes field. In Starrise you add a new note each time something happens: a call, a coffee, the name of their new dog. Each note is dated, so the profile becomes a timeline you can scroll through before you meet again. See contact notes.
Birthdays without the detour through Calendar
Apple shows birthdays in the Calendar app, and you set one alert time for all of them in Calendar’s settings. Starrise lists upcoming birthdays and anniversaries in one place and reminds you at the time you choose. See birthday reminders.
Keep in Touch
Apple Contacts has no way to remind you that you haven’t spoken to someone in a while. With Starrise Contacts Pro you choose how often you want to catch up with a person, every week, every month or twice a year, and Starrise reminds you when it’s time. See Keep in Touch reminders.
When Apple Contacts is enough
If you only need to look up numbers and addresses, Apple Contacts does that well, and it is already on your iPhone. Starrise Contacts is for when you want to remember more about people and stay in touch with them.
Sources
Facts about other apps were checked on 11 October 2026 on the pages below.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Starrise Contacts replace Apple Contacts?
It can, but it doesn’t have to. Starrise works on the same address book, so every change shows up in both apps. Many people use Starrise every day and keep Apple Contacts installed.
Can Apple Contacts remind me of birthdays?
Indirectly. Birthdays you save on a contact appear in the Birthdays calendar in the Calendar app, which can alert you. Starrise Contacts has birthday and anniversary reminders built in, at the time you choose.
Are my contacts safe with Starrise Contacts?
Yes. Starrise Contacts needs no account and never uploads your contacts to us. Your contacts stay in your own accounts, and with Pro your notes sync through your own private iCloud account.
GET STARRISE CONTACTS
Upgrade your contacts app
Starrise Contacts works on the contacts already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac. No account, nothing to import. Free to download, with an optional Pro subscription.
Free on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Pro costs $0.99 per month or $5.99 per year in the US.