# Lock Notes vs Shared Notes

The clearest difference is monetization model: Shared Notes at free with in-app purchases against Lock Notes's subscription. Lock Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (138 vs 16). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lock Notes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Shared Notes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shared Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lock Notes has 138 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of Lock Notes's written reviews are positive against 50% of Shared Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Lock Notes ships an update every 10 days, Shared Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lock Notes | Shared Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lock-notes-private-journal/id1211884686/reviews) | **[4.6 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | **54.2% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 23 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LYKOV STUDIO LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1783754094) | [Juanma Del Boca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826820062) |

## 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 |


### Shared Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868)

This app helps couples and friends stay organized with shared lists and notes. It features AI tools to summarize, format, and correct text, along with private, password-protected notes and offline functionality.

**Highlights:** Shared grocery and to-do lists, AI summarization and grammar correction, Password-protected private notes, Offline note-taking and syncing, Real-time synchronization, Cross-platform compatibility

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Half Year Subscription | $4.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lock Notes free?

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

### Is Shared Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lock Notes or Shared Notes?

Shared Notes is rated higher. Lock Notes averages 4.4 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Shared Notes averages 4.6 from 16 ratings.

### Do Lock Notes or Shared Notes have ads?

Shared Notes shows ads; Lock Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lock Notes or Shared Notes?

Lock Notes ships an update every 10 days, and Shared Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lock Notes was updated on November 2, 2026 and Shared Notes on October 30, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*