Comparison

Notes and Folders vs Secure Notes

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

Head to head
About

Notes and Folders

Organize your thoughts and memories with this app. Create folders for notes, attach photos, and even keep a dated diary. Secure your entries with password protection and access them easily with widgets and search functionality.

Highlights
  • Organize notes with folders and subfolders
  • Attach photos to notes
  • Dated diary entries
  • Password lock (Passcode, Touch ID, Face ID)
  • Widgets for quick access
  • Search notes
  • Backup to Dropbox, PC, or Mac
Features
Read full description

Over 240,000 downloads worldwide! Notes and Folders is a simple notepad that lets you organize notes and photos with folders. You can also lock your notes with a passcode. FOLDERS - Organize your notes with folders - Create folders inside folders NOTES - Attach multiple photos to a note - Character count - Auto-save while editing - Editing buttons: copy & paste, undo, select, and arrow keys - Built-in web browser to add text and screenshots of web pages to your notes DIARY - Write a diary entry for any date - Read a whole month of entries at once OTHERS - Widget - Passcode lock (Face ID and Touch ID supported) - Search notes - Share notes to other apps - Save text and images from other apps (Share Extension) - Theme colors - Adjustable text size - iPad support - Backup with Dropbox - Backup with a computer URL SCHEME notesandfolders:// BACKUP You can back up your notes with Dropbox, or with a computer (Finder on Mac, or the Apple Devices app or iTunes on Windows). For details, see FAQ > "About Backup" in the app's settings. ADS This app shows banner ads, and a full-screen ad only once a day (every 24 hours). Ads are not shown after purchasing ad removal.

About

Secure Notes

Safeguard your private thoughts, voice memos, and sensitive information with robust, multi-layered security. This app offers military-grade encryption, biometric locks, and secure voice recording to keep your data protected. Enjoy a distraction-free, ad-free experience with a powerful rich text editor and seamless iCloud syncing across devices.

Highlights
  • 3-Layer Security (app, folders, notes)
  • Secure Voice Recording
  • Biometric Lock (Face ID, Touch ID, Passcode)
  • iCloud Sync
  • Rich Text Editor with Markdown
  • Trash Recovery
Features
Read full description

Lock your notes. Only you can access them. Secure Notes is a private and secure notes app designed to protect your thoughts, passwords, voice memos, and sensitive information. Everything is encrypted on your device, and even we cannot read your data. If you need a truly private place for your notes, Secure Notes gives you full control, strong protection, and a simple experience that works every day. Built for real privacy - Your notes are yours. Always. - No tracking - No analytics on your content - No data selling - No external access to your notes All data is stored securely on your device and, if enabled, inside your private iCloud account. This is not just a locked notes app — it is built for real privacy. Powerful protection Secure Notes uses multiple layers of protection to keep your data safe. 3-layer security: lock the app, folders, and individual notes Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode protection Lock specific notes with additional security Encrypted storage on device Designed to prevent unauthorized access Your notes stay protected even if your device is lost or accessed by someone else. Write, record, and organize Capture everything in one place. Secure text notes for daily use Voice notes up to 10 minutes Speech-to-text: transcribe any voice note with one tap Markdown editor with formatting support Live preview for better writing experience Organize notes into folders Whether you are writing ideas, journaling, or storing important information, everything stays private and accessible. Sync across your devices iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad Instant updates across devices Your data remains under your control No external servers. No unnecessary exposure. Designed for speed and simplicity Fast and responsive performance Clean, modern interface Dark mode support No ads or distractions Reliable experience every day Additional features Trash recovery for up to 30 days Improved text rendering Enhanced Markdown editing Notifications to stay on top of your notes Continuous performance improvements Why people choose Secure Notes Private journaling and personal thoughts Password and sensitive information storage Financial tracking and private records Health notes and personal logs Recovery phrases and secure data storage Anything you want to keep hidden, protected, and under your control. Security you can trust All notes are encrypted and stored locally unless you enable iCloud sync. We do not have access to your data and cannot read your notes. Deleting the app removes all unsynced data permanently. Terms and conditions: https://www.pixelport.io/app/secure-notes-lock-notes/terms-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.pixelport.io/app/secure-notes-lock-notes/privacy-policy EULA: https://www.pixelport.io/app/secure-notes-lock-notes/eula

Screenshots

Notes and Folders4 screens
Secure Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Secure Notes at none against Notes and Folders's shown. Secure Notes also leads on iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). Notes and Folders's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 65%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Notes and Folders sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Secure Notes sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Notes and Folders against 4.6 for Secure Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 302 and 716 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Notes and Folders's written reviews are positive against 65% of Secure Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notes and Folders ships an update every 3 weeks, Secure Notes fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Notes and Folders versus Secure Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotes and FoldersSecure Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (302 ratings)4.6 (716 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.4% of reviews — better64.7% of reviews
Number of ratings302716 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB67 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperKinkumaDesignPixelPort LLC

Customer experience

Notes and Folders

All ratings302 ratings
Positive87.4%
Neutral6.0%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral12.4%
Negative7.2%

Secure Notes

All ratings716 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews150 reviews
Positive64.7%
Neutral10.0%
Negative25.3%

Bugs and requests

Notes and Folders

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Secure Notes

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Delayed text input and display
  • Inability to access locked notes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to move notes between folders
  • Option to customize font, size, and colors
  • Trash/Recycle bin for deleted notes
  • Cloud sync/backup functionality

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Notes and Folders

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99
6 purchases

Secure Notes

Subscriptions5
  • Secure Notes - 1 Month PRO3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Secure Notes - Pro Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Secure Notes Pro Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Secure Notes Pro Annual Offer$19.991 Year
  • Secure Notes - 1 Year PRO$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Secure Notes Pro - Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Notes and Folders free?
Notes and Folders is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Secure Notes free?
Secure Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notes and Folders or Secure Notes?
Secure Notes is rated higher. Notes and Folders averages 4.5 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while Secure Notes averages 4.6 from 716 ratings.
Do Notes and Folders or Secure Notes have ads?
Notes and Folders shows ads; Secure Notes does not.
Which is updated more often, Notes and Folders or Secure Notes?
Notes and Folders ships an update every 3 weeks, and Secure Notes fortnightly. Most recently, Notes and Folders was updated on October 24, 2026 and Secure Notes on October 24, 2026.

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