# Lock Notes Pro vs Handwritten Idea Notes

The clearest difference is price: Handwritten Idea Notes at Free against Lock Notes Pro's $9.99. Lock Notes Pro's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Handwritten Idea Notes is free to download; Lock Notes Pro costs $9.99 up front. Lock Notes Pro sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year and Handwritten Idea Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Lock Notes Pro against 4.6 for Handwritten Idea Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 270 and 73 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Lock Notes Pro's written reviews are positive against 71% of Handwritten Idea Notes's.

Lock Notes Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, Handwritten Idea Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lock Notes Pro | Handwritten Idea Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (270 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-notes-pro/id1052612947/reviews) | [4.6 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwritten-idea-notes/id1097329961/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **270** | 73 |
| Positive reviews | **82.3% of reviews** | 71.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 8 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JulyApps Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/427694580) | [tadashi atoji](https://appshunter.io/developer/431510057) |

## What reviewers say

### Lock Notes Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-notes-pro/id1052612947)

Securely store and protect your private notes with password or Touch ID access. This app allows you to keep sensitive information like passwords, secrets, and diaries safe from unauthorized viewing. It offers features like iCloud backup and syncing, image insertion, and printing.

**Highlights:** Password and Touch ID protection, iCloud backup and sync, Insert images and photos, Print notes, Sort and customize notes, Security question recovery

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auto Backup | $14.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure storage of notes
- 💡 Useful for organizing personal information
- 🚀 Efficient app performance
- 🔒 Password protection for notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔒 Concerns about data loss or backup issues
- 🔒 Difficulty restoring notes from backup
- 💡 Lack of advanced features like checklists or reminders

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after iOS updates
- Unable to edit or update notes without losing data
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Add checklist functionality
- Implement a recycle bin for deleted notes
- Improve syncing and backup options
- Add more customization options for font, layout, etc.


### Handwritten Idea Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwritten-idea-notes/id1097329961)

Quickly capture your thoughts with this handwriting-focused note-taking app. Easily create new pages and organize your notes, with support for Apple Pencil. Export your collected images to cloud services for easy access.

**Highlights:** Quickly jot down ideas, Create new pages easily, Organize notes in folders, Export images to cloud apps, Apple Pencil support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ad | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lock Notes Pro free?

Lock Notes Pro costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Handwritten Idea Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lock Notes Pro or Handwritten Idea Notes?

Lock Notes Pro and Handwritten Idea Notes are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 270 and 73 ratings respectively.

### Do Lock Notes Pro or Handwritten Idea Notes have ads?

Handwritten Idea Notes shows ads; Lock Notes Pro does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lock Notes Pro or Handwritten Idea Notes?

Lock Notes Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, and Handwritten Idea Notes every 3 months. Most recently, Lock Notes Pro was updated on September 24, 2026 and Handwritten Idea Notes on September 23, 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.*