# Standard Notes vs Private Notes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Private Notes at 100% against Standard Notes's 64%. Private Notes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Standard Notes's advantage is ratings volume (3.8K vs 11) and device support (3 vs 1). 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 Private Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Private Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Standard Notes has 3.8K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Standard Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Private Notes's.

Standard Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, Private Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Standard Notes | Private Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews) | **[5.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes-ai-note-taker/id6752633041/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 64.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 92 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) | [App Incubator Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527929929) |

## 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


### Private Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes-ai-note-taker/id6752633041)

This app transcribes and summarizes audio recordings entirely on your device, ensuring complete privacy. It offers real-time transcription, AI-generated summaries of key points and action items, and supports multiple languages, all without requiring an internet connection or account.

**Highlights:** 100% on-device processing, Real-time transcription, AI-powered summaries, Multilingual support (10 languages), Offline functionality, Export in Markdown

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

### Is Private Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Standard Notes or Private Notes?

Private Notes is rated higher. Standard Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while Private Notes averages 5.0 from 11 ratings.

### Do Standard Notes or Private Notes have ads?

Neither Standard Notes nor Private Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Standard Notes or Private Notes?

Standard Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and Private Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Standard Notes was updated on October 14, 2026 and Private Notes on September 29, 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.*