# Lock Notes vs Plain Note

The clearest difference is monetization model: Plain Note at free with in-app purchases against Lock Notes's subscription. Lock Notes's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 62%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lock Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year and Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Lock Notes against 4.6 for Plain Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Lock Notes's written reviews are positive against 62% of Plain Note's.

Lock Notes ships an update every 10 days, Plain Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lock Notes | Plain Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-notes-passcode-protect/id1033962570/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | **73.2% of reviews** | 62.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 8 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JulyApps Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/427694580) | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) |

## What reviewers say

### Lock Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-notes-passcode-protect/id1033962570)

Securely store and protect your private notes with a passcode or Touch ID. Keep sensitive information like passwords, secrets, and diary entries safe from unauthorized access. Backup and sync notes across devices, customize their appearance, and even add images.

**Highlights:** Passcode and Touch ID protection, Security question recovery, iCloud backup and sync, Customizable font style and size, Insert images into notes, Print and share notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auto Backup | $14.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Notes | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lock Notes Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Secure notes
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient
- 🔑 Passcode/biometric protection
- 💾 Cloud backup

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free notes
- 💰 Paywall for advanced features
- 🐛 Crashes and data loss issues
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 📁 No folder organization

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing after updates
- Inability to access notes after device reset
- Sync issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Advanced formatting options
- Ability to change passcode
- Improved search capabilities
- Folder/organization system
- Better backup and restore options


### Plain Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921)

This app allows you to create and organize notes with customizable tags and icons. It offers lock screen and home screen widgets for quick access and supports character/line counting. Personalize your experience with themes, app icons, and fonts.

**Highlights:** Organize notes with tags, Customizable tag icons and colors, Character and line counting, Lock screen and home screen widgets, Customizable themes, app icons, and fonts, Archive and organize notes

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium - Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and clean design
- 💡 One-time payment model
- 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable tags and icons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notes sometimes don't save properly
- 🐛 Slow and unreliable synchronization
- ❌ No text formatting options (bold, italics, etc.)
- ❌ No ability to insert photos or videos
- ❌ No option to export notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
- Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note

**Requested features**

- Ability to swipe widget to display another note
- Subfolders for better organization
- Export function to backup notes
- Option to change app colors
- Support for multiple notes in one widget


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lock Notes free?

Lock Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Plain Note free?

Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Lock Notes or Plain Note?

Plain Note is rated higher. Lock Notes averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Plain Note averages 4.6 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Lock Notes or Plain Note have ads?

Neither Lock Notes nor Plain Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lock Notes or Plain Note?

Lock Notes ships an update every 10 days, and Plain Note every 9 days. Most recently, Lock Notes was updated on October 5, 2026 and Plain Note on October 9, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*