Comparison

Secure Notes vs Notesnook

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Secure Notes

Safeguard your private thoughts, voice memos, and sensitive information with robust, multi-layered security. This app offers military-grade encryption, biometric locks, and secure voice recording to keep your data protected. Enjoy a distraction-free, ad-free experience with a powerful rich text editor and seamless iCloud syncing across devices.

Highlights
  • 3-Layer Security (app, folders, notes)
  • Secure Voice Recording
  • Biometric Lock (Face ID, Touch ID, Passcode)
  • iCloud Sync
  • Rich Text Editor with Markdown
  • Trash Recovery
Features
Read full description

Lock your notes. Only you can access them. Secure Notes is a private and secure notes app designed to protect your thoughts, passwords, voice memos, and sensitive information. Everything is encrypted on your device, and even we cannot read your data. If you need a truly private place for your notes, Secure Notes gives you full control, strong protection, and a simple experience that works every day. Built for real privacy - Your notes are yours. Always. - No tracking - No analytics on your content - No data selling - No external access to your notes All data is stored securely on your device and, if enabled, inside your private iCloud account. This is not just a locked notes app — it is built for real privacy. Powerful protection Secure Notes uses multiple layers of protection to keep your data safe. 3-layer security: lock the app, folders, and individual notes Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode protection Lock specific notes with additional security Encrypted storage on device Designed to prevent unauthorized access Your notes stay protected even if your device is lost or accessed by someone else. Write, record, and organize Capture everything in one place. Secure text notes for daily use Voice notes up to 10 minutes Speech-to-text: transcribe any voice note with one tap Markdown editor with formatting support Live preview for better writing experience Organize notes into folders Whether you are writing ideas, journaling, or storing important information, everything stays private and accessible. Sync across your devices iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad Instant updates across devices Your data remains under your control No external servers. No unnecessary exposure. Designed for speed and simplicity Fast and responsive performance Clean, modern interface Dark mode support No ads or distractions Reliable experience every day Additional features Trash recovery for up to 30 days Improved text rendering Enhanced Markdown editing Notifications to stay on top of your notes Continuous performance improvements Why people choose Secure Notes Private journaling and personal thoughts Password and sensitive information storage Financial tracking and private records Health notes and personal logs Recovery phrases and secure data storage Anything you want to keep hidden, protected, and under your control. Security you can trust All notes are encrypted and stored locally unless you enable iCloud sync. We do not have access to your data and cannot read your notes. Deleting the app removes all unsynced data permanently. Terms and conditions: https://www.pixelport.io/app/secure-notes-lock-notes/terms-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.pixelport.io/app/secure-notes-lock-notes/privacy-policy EULA: https://www.pixelport.io/app/secure-notes-lock-notes/eula

About

Notesnook

This open-source app offers secure, encrypted note-taking and organization across all your devices. It features a robust editor, to-do lists, and a private journal with advanced security to protect your personal information.

Highlights
  • Military-grade encryption
  • Cross-platform synchronization
  • To-do lists and task management
  • Private journal with media support
  • Rich text and Markdown editor
  • Notebook organization
  • App lock with fingerprint support
Features
Read full description

Your notes are yours. Notesnook encrypts every one of them on your device before it ever reaches the cloud — so no one can read them. Not advertisers, not us. UNLIMITED NOTES. EVERY DEVICE. FREE. Most note apps cap the free plan until it hurts. Others stop after a few dozen notes. Notesnook never limits how much you write or how many devices you sync. A REAL EDITOR Headings, tables, code blocks, maths, outlines, Markdown and full-quality images. Notes that hold up whether you are writing a shopping list or a thesis chapter. ORGANISED AT ANY SIZE Nested notebooks, tags, colours, pinned and favourite notes, and search that stays instant at 10,000 notes. Link notes to each other and build your own private wiki. PRIVACY YOU CAN CHECK YOURSELF • End-to-end encryption is always on — you cannot switch it off, so you cannot forget • Encrypted on your device, in transit and at rest, using XChaCha20-Poly1305 and Argon2 • Even your notebook and tag names are encrypted • 100% open source under AGPLv3 — read every line, or run your own sync server • Recommended by Privacy Guides IMPORT YOUR OLD NOTES Bring your notes, notebooks and tags with you. Import from your previous notes app, plus plain Markdown and HTML files. EVERYWHERE YOU WRITE iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web. Sync is instant, and encrypted the whole way. ALSO INSIDE • Web clipper — save any article, ad-free and offline • Reminders across all your devices • Note version history, so nothing is ever really lost • Publish a note to a shareable link • Dark mode and custom themes FREE FOREVER Unlimited notes, unlimited devices, 50 notebooks, 50 tags and full end-to-end encryption. No ads. No trial countdown. PAID PLANS Add task lists, callouts, recurring reminders, more storage, and — on Pro — app lock, an encrypted vault and full-quality images. From $19.99 a year. Questions or feedback: support@streetwriters.co Privacy policy: https://notesnook.com/privacy Terms: https://notesnook.com/terms

Screenshots

Secure Notes4 screens
Notesnook4 screens

Verdict

The call

Secure Notes and Notesnook both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Notesnook's written reviews are positive against 65% of Secure Notes's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Secure Notes sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Notesnook sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Secure Notes against 4.7 for Notesnook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 719 and 681 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Secure Notes's written reviews are positive against 79% of Notesnook's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Secure Notes ships an update fortnightly, Notesnook every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Secure Notes versus Notesnook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSecure NotesNotesnook
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (719 ratings)4.7 (681 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.7% of reviews78.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings719 — better681
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPixelPort LLCStreetwriters LLC

Customer experience

Secure Notes

All ratings719 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews150 reviews
Positive64.7%
Neutral10.0%
Negative25.3%

Notesnook

All ratings672 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews401 reviews
Positive78.8%
Neutral6.5%
Negative14.7%

User reviews

Secure Notes

From 719 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🔒 Secure notes and folders
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Efficient note-taking
  • 💡 Innovative features like Love Voice Notes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy performance after updates
  • 🤯 Overly complicated UI changes
  • 🔒 Difficulty resetting passwords/access
  • 💸 Essential features locked behind paywall

Notesnook

From 681 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 🔒 Secure and private
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
  • 👍 Cross-platform compatibility
  • 👍 Generous free tier

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sync and login issues
  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes
  • 💰 Expensive premium tier
  • 🔒 Lack of free encryption features

Bugs and requests

Secure Notes

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Delayed text input and display
  • Inability to access locked notes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to move notes between folders
  • Option to customize font, size, and colors
  • Trash/Recycle bin for deleted notes
  • Cloud sync/backup functionality

Notesnook

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on launch on older iOS devices
  • Sync issues leading to data loss
  • Unreliable login and verification process

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved search functionality
  • Reminders and calendar integration
  • Handwriting and drawing support
  • Multilingual support
  • Improved table and spreadsheet features

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Secure Notes

Subscriptions5
  • Secure Notes - 1 Month PRO3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Secure Notes - Pro Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Secure Notes Pro Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Secure Notes Pro Annual Offer$19.991 Year
  • Secure Notes - 1 Year PRO$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Secure Notes Pro - Lifetime$99.99
17 purchases

Notesnook

Subscriptions17
  • Notesnook Pro$0.991 Month
  • Notesnook Essential Plan7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro$2.491 Month
Show 14 more
  • Notesnook Pro Plan7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro3 variants$4.491 Month
  • Notesnook Pro1 Month trial$4.491 Month
  • Notesnook Pro Plan7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Notesnook Believer Plan7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro$9.991 Year
  • Notesnook Essential Plan14 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro$24.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Plan14 Days trial$29.901 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Yearly$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Plan14 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Notesnook Believer Plan14 Days trial$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Secure Notes free?
Secure Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notesnook free?
Notesnook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Secure Notes or Notesnook?
Notesnook is rated higher. Secure Notes averages 4.6 out of 5 from 719 ratings, while Notesnook averages 4.7 from 681 ratings.
Do Secure Notes or Notesnook have ads?
Neither Secure Notes nor Notesnook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Secure Notes or Notesnook?
Secure Notes ships an update fortnightly, and Notesnook every 8 days. Most recently, Secure Notes was updated on October 19, 2026 and Notesnook on October 20, 2026.

Other comparisons