# Standard Notes vs PrivacyNotes

The clearest difference is update cadence: PrivacyNotes at every 3 days against Standard Notes's every 5 weeks. PrivacyNotes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Standard Notes's advantage is ratings volume (3.7K vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 per year and PrivacyNotes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PrivacyNotes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Standard Notes has 3.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Standard Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, PrivacyNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Standard Notes | PrivacyNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacynotes-zero-knowledge/id6785958812/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 63.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 92 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) | [Lifetime Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785958814) |

## 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


### PrivacyNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacynotes-zero-knowledge/id6785958812)

Securely manage your notes, tasks, and journal with end-to-end encryption. This app ensures your data is private by design, with no trackers or ads. It works offline and syncs encrypted across your devices without requiring an account.

**Highlights:** Zero-knowledge encryption, Markdown-native notes, Task management, Private journaling, Offline functionality, Cross-device sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 GB Encrypted Storage | $4.99 | per year |
| 2 GB Encrypted Storage | $8.99 | per year |
| 5 GB Encrypted Storage | $17.99 | per year |
| PrivacyNotes Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

### Is PrivacyNotes free?

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

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

PrivacyNotes is rated higher. Standard Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while PrivacyNotes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Standard Notes or PrivacyNotes have ads?

Neither Standard Notes nor PrivacyNotes shows ads.

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

Standard Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and PrivacyNotes every 3 days. Most recently, Standard Notes was updated on October 1, 2026 and PrivacyNotes on September 20, 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.*