Comparison

Memo Pad vs Private Notes.

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Memo Pad

This is a straightforward and visually appealing notepad application. It allows users to quickly jot down ideas, tasks, or lists and find them later with a search function. Users can also customize the appearance and share content with other applications.

Highlights
  • Easy note search
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • Sort notes by date
  • Share notes to other apps
  • Tablet optimized design
Features
Read full description

A simple and easy to use notepad. - Find notes easily using the search function - Easily sort information according to conditions of your choosing - Customize theme colors and font size - Link to other apps easily with a single tap Ideas, tasks, shopping list, e-mail, please use such as in the message. Facebook, it can be shared Twitter, such as e-mail. Creation date, you can sort by modified date. Also I can easily search past notes. [Main Functions] - Search - Share - Display Order - Designed for tablets URL Scheme: woodsmall-memopad:// Made in Japan. © woodsmall inc.

About

Private Notes.

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
Read full description

Have personal notes you would like to keep secret? Look no further. With this app you can safely secure personal thoughts, ideas or any text with with Apple’s touch/Face ID or a passcode. FEATURES: -Intuitive copy/paste/cut functions are at your disposal. -Underline, embolden or change any word in italic. -Straight forward user interface allows you to quickly organize your timestamped notes.

Screenshots

Memo Pad4 screens
Private Notes.3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Memo Pad at 76% against Private Notes.'s 14%. Private Notes.'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Memo Pad sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Private Notes. asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Memo Pad ships an update every 6 weeks, Private Notes. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Memo Pad versus Private Notes.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMemo PadPrivate Notes.
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (436 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.4% of reviews — better14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings436 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerwoodsmall inc.WALABOK LLC

Customer experience

Memo Pad

All ratings427 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral4.7%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews573 reviews
Positive76.4%
Neutral7.9%
Negative15.7%

Private Notes.

Written reviews7 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative85.7%

Bugs and requests

Memo Pad

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Notes sometimes disappearing after updates
  • Password/fingerprint login not working consistently

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to add photos or files
  • Implement alphabetical sorting of notes
  • Improve cursor control for editing
  • Provide cloud sync across devices

Private Notes.

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Memo Pad

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly plan$0.491 Month
  • 6 months plan$2.996 Months
  • Annual plan$5.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pay in full$7.99
None

Private Notes.

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Memo Pad free?
Memo Pad 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 Memo Pad or Private Notes. have ads?
Both Memo Pad and Private Notes. show ads.
Which is updated more often, Memo Pad or Private Notes.?
Memo Pad ships an update every 6 weeks, and Private Notes. every 2 months. Most recently, Memo Pad was updated on November 6, 2026 and Private Notes. on November 3, 2026.

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