# Lock Notes vs Private Notes.

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lock Notes at 73% against Private Notes.'s 14%. Lock Notes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). Private Notes.'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lock Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Private Notes. asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lock Notes ships an update every 10 days, Private Notes. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lock Notes | Private Notes. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-notes-passcode-protect/id1033962570/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **73.3% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 8 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JulyApps Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/427694580) | [WALABOK LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/913827467) |

## 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


### Private Notes.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes/id1539765495)

Securely store your personal thoughts, ideas, and text with a passcode or biometric authentication. This app offers intuitive text editing tools and a straightforward interface for organizing timestamped notes.

**Highlights:** Biometric and passcode security, Intuitive copy/paste/cut, Text formatting (underline, bold, italic), Timestamped notes, Straightforward user interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lock Notes free?

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

### Is Private Notes. free?

Private Notes. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Lock Notes or Private Notes. have ads?

Private Notes. shows ads; Lock Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lock Notes or Private Notes.?

Lock Notes ships an update every 10 days, and Private Notes. every 2 months. Most recently, Lock Notes was updated on September 23, 2026 and Private Notes. on August 22, 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.*