# Standard Notes vs Proton Drive

The clearest difference is rating: Standard Notes at 4.7 against Proton Drive's 4.1. Standard Notes also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 37%) and ratings volume (3.7K vs 1.1K). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 per year and Proton Drive sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Standard Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.7K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Standard Notes's written reviews are positive against 37% of Proton Drive's.

Standard Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Proton Drive fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Standard Notes | Proton Drive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews)** | [4.1 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-drive-cloud-storage/id1509667851/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | **63.4% of reviews** | 36.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 92 MB | 235 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) | [Proton AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/979659484) |

## What reviewers say

### Standard Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450)

Securely capture and sync your thoughts across all devices with end-to-end encryption. This app offers a simple, lasting place for all your notes, from personal thoughts to sensitive information, with robust privacy features.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Cross-device syncing, Offline access, Passcode and biometric lock, Tagging system, Open-source code, Optional productivity editors and themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable sync
- 🔒 Excellent privacy and security
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 📚 Great for organizing notes
- 💻 Cross-platform availability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔑 Frustrating login/authentication issues
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription
- 📱 Limited features in free version
- 🖍️ Lack of formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting deleted unexpectedly
- Sync issues between devices
- Keyboard and UI bugs on mobile
- Compatibility problems with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for images and attachments
- Implement a more robust search function
- Introduce a dark mode option
- Allow for better note organization (folders, nested tags)
- Add undo/redo functionality


### Proton Drive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proton-drive-cloud-storage/id1509667851)

Securely store and back up your files and photos with end-to-end encryption. Access your content across devices, share securely with password protection, and enjoy peace of mind with Swiss privacy laws. Offers free storage with upgrade options.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted storage, Automatic photo and video backup, Secure link sharing with passwords, PIN/biometric protection, Offline file access, File version history

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drive Lite 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| Drive Plus 1 month | $4.99 | per month |
| Drive Plus 1 TB (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Proton Unlimited 1 month | $14.99 | per month |
| Drive Plus 1 year | $47.90 | per year |
| Drive Plus 1 TB (1 year) | $95.99 | per year |
| Proton Unlimited 1 year | $119.00 | per year |
| Drive Plus | $59.99 | one-time |
| Proton Unlimited | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 💡 Integrated with iOS Files app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📥 Slow upload/download speeds
- 🗂️ Lacking key features like search and sorting

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and errors
- Inconsistent file syncing across devices
- Unable to access files uploaded from desktop
- Issues with offline file access

**Requested features**

- Automatic photo/video backup
- Ability to edit documents within the app
- Seamless integration with other apps for file sharing
- Linux desktop client


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

### Is Proton Drive free?

Proton Drive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Standard Notes or Proton Drive?

Standard Notes is rated higher. Standard Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Proton Drive averages 4.1 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Standard Notes or Proton Drive have ads?

Neither Standard Notes nor Proton Drive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Standard Notes or Proton Drive?

Standard Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Proton Drive fortnightly. Most recently, Standard Notes was updated on September 22, 2026 and Proton Drive on September 22, 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.*