Comparison

Dynalist vs Notesnook

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

Head to head
About

Dynalist

Organize notes, manage projects, outline content, and build wikis with this versatile tool. Features include infinitely zooming lists, checklists, tagging, and cross-linking for efficient information management.

Highlights
  • Infinitely zooming bullet lists
  • Checklists
  • Tagging with # and @
  • Cross-linking between lists
  • Public and private list sharing
  • Insert images and LaTeX
Features
Read full description

Dynalist is a multi-purpose app that can be used as: • a note-taking app to organize your notes • a project management app to break down tasks and track progress • an outliner app to outline and write books • a wiki app to organize knowledge and information ************************************************** Key features include: • infinitely zooming bullet lists • make checklists • using # and @ tags • add dates • share lists publicly or privately • cross link between lists • insert images and LaTeX • sync dates to Google Calendar (Pro feature) • bookmark lists, bullets, and search results • apply color labels • upload files (Pro feature) • make numbered lists

About

Notesnook

This open-source app offers secure, encrypted note-taking and organization across all your devices. It features a robust editor, to-do lists, and a private journal with advanced security to protect your personal information.

Highlights
  • Military-grade encryption
  • Cross-platform synchronization
  • To-do lists and task management
  • Private journal with media support
  • Rich text and Markdown editor
  • Notebook organization
  • App lock with fingerprint support
Features
Read full description

Your notes are yours. Notesnook encrypts every one of them on your device before it ever reaches the cloud — so no one can read them. Not advertisers, not us. UNLIMITED NOTES. EVERY DEVICE. FREE. Most note apps cap the free plan until it hurts. Others stop after a few dozen notes. Notesnook never limits how much you write or how many devices you sync. A REAL EDITOR Headings, tables, code blocks, maths, outlines, Markdown and full-quality images. Notes that hold up whether you are writing a shopping list or a thesis chapter. ORGANISED AT ANY SIZE Nested notebooks, tags, colours, pinned and favourite notes, and search that stays instant at 10,000 notes. Link notes to each other and build your own private wiki. PRIVACY YOU CAN CHECK YOURSELF • End-to-end encryption is always on — you cannot switch it off, so you cannot forget • Encrypted on your device, in transit and at rest, using XChaCha20-Poly1305 and Argon2 • Even your notebook and tag names are encrypted • 100% open source under AGPLv3 — read every line, or run your own sync server • Recommended by Privacy Guides IMPORT YOUR OLD NOTES Bring your notes, notebooks and tags with you. Import from your previous notes app, plus plain Markdown and HTML files. EVERYWHERE YOU WRITE iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web. Sync is instant, and encrypted the whole way. ALSO INSIDE • Web clipper — save any article, ad-free and offline • Reminders across all your devices • Note version history, so nothing is ever really lost • Publish a note to a shareable link • Dark mode and custom themes FREE FOREVER Unlimited notes, unlimited devices, 50 notebooks, 50 tags and full end-to-end encryption. No ads. No trial countdown. PAID PLANS Add task lists, callouts, recurring reminders, more storage, and — on Pro — app lock, an encrypted vault and full-quality images. From $19.99 a year. Questions or feedback: support@streetwriters.co Privacy policy: https://notesnook.com/privacy Terms: https://notesnook.com/terms

Screenshots

Dynalist1 screens
Notesnook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Notesnook at 4.7 against Dynalist's 3.9. Notesnook also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 58%) and update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). Dynalist's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, monetization model 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. Notesnook sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Dynalist asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Notesnook holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notesnook has 672 ratings behind it against 124, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Dynalist's written reviews are positive against 79% of Notesnook's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dynalist ships an update monthly, Notesnook every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Dynalist versus Notesnook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDynalistNotesnook
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (124 ratings)4.7 (672 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.8% of reviews78.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings124672 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDynalist Inc.Streetwriters LLC

Customer experience

Dynalist

All ratings124 ratings
Positive69.4%
Neutral7.3%
Negative23.4%
Written reviews166 reviews
Positive57.8%
Neutral13.3%
Negative28.9%

Notesnook

All ratings672 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews399 reviews
Positive78.7%
Neutral6.5%
Negative14.8%

Bugs and requests

Dynalist

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Notesnook

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on launch on older iOS devices
  • Sync issues leading to data loss
  • Unreliable login and verification process

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved search functionality
  • Reminders and calendar integration
  • Handwriting and drawing support
  • Multilingual support
  • Improved table and spreadsheet features

In-app purchases

None

Dynalist

No in-app purchases

17 purchases

Notesnook

Subscriptions17
  • Notesnook Pro$0.991 Month
  • Notesnook Essential Plan7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro$2.491 Month
Show 14 more
  • Notesnook Pro Plan7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro3 variants$4.491 Month
  • Notesnook Pro1 Month trial$4.491 Month
  • Notesnook Pro Plan7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Notesnook Believer Plan7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro$9.991 Year
  • Notesnook Essential Plan14 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro$24.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Plan14 Days trial$29.901 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Yearly$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Plan14 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Notesnook Believer Plan14 Days trial$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Dynalist free?
Dynalist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notesnook free?
Notesnook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dynalist or Notesnook?
Notesnook is rated higher. Dynalist averages 3.9 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while Notesnook averages 4.7 from 672 ratings.
Do Dynalist or Notesnook have ads?
Neither Dynalist nor Notesnook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dynalist or Notesnook?
Dynalist ships an update monthly, and Notesnook every 8 days. Most recently, Dynalist was updated on October 6, 2026 and Notesnook on October 13, 2026.

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