# Lock Notes vs Private Notes.

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lock Notes at 55% 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 7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lock Notes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. 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 27, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lock Notes | Private Notes. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (137 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-notes-private-journal/id1211884686/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **137** | — |
| Positive reviews | **55.3% 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 | 15 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LYKOV STUDIO LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1783754094) | [WALABOK LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/913827467) |

## What reviewers say

### Lock Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-notes-private-journal/id1211884686)

Securely store private thoughts, passwords, and reminders with biometric authentication. Enjoy a simple, elegant interface with iCloud sync, customizable themes, and backup options. Your data remains private and encrypted.

**Highlights:** Biometric authentication (Face ID, Touch ID), Encrypted note storage, iCloud sync across devices, Customizable themes and dark mode, Backup and restore functionality, Ad-free minimalist interface

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Disable ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


### 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 27, 2026 and Private Notes. on September 17, 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.*