# Notes vs Safe Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Notes at 4.8 against Safe Notes's 4.3. Notes also leads on ratings volume (654 vs 19) and review sentiment (79% vs 67%). Safe Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Safe Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes has 654 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Notes's written reviews are positive against 67% of Safe Notes's.

Notes ships an update monthly, Safe Notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes | Safe Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (654 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-and-lists/id1489717129/reviews)** | [4.3 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safe-notes-notebook-notepad/id1644297724/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **654** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | **78.5% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 109 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Orange Dog](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673134885) | [QUYEN NGUYEN](https://appshunter.io/developer/988288907) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-and-lists/id1489717129)

This app combines a notepad, to-do list, and memo functionality into a single, intuitive interface. Easily create notes from text, voice, or images, and organize them with reminders and sorting options. Secure your data and transfer it to new devices.

**Highlights:** 3-in-1 notepad, to-do list, and memos, Create notes from photos, images, and voice, Set notifications and reminders, Sort notes by urgency, category, due date, color, Secure notes with a security code, Data transfer to new devices

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Disable ads | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 🎨 Highly customizable with colors and themes
- 🆓 Free app with no ads
- 🔒 Password protected notes
- 📱 Well-organized layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads despite paid subscription
- ❓ Unclear note retention policies
- 🤔 Complicated question/support system

**Reported bugs**

- Unexpected ads appearing after recent updates for paid subscribers

**Requested features**

- More engaging task motivation features
- Clearer documentation on note persistence
- Improved customer support interface


### Safe Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safe-notes-notebook-notepad/id1644297724)

This app provides a secure and customizable way to take notes and manage to-do lists. It offers features like password protection, colorful themes, and data recovery, allowing users to organize and protect their thoughts and tasks.

**Highlights:** Secure note-taking with password and PIN lock, Create notes with text, checkboxes, and pictures, Customizable colorful themes and backgrounds, Data recovery for deleted notes up to 30 days, Dark and light mode options, Organize notes by color, category, and time, List/Grid view for notes

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Access | $12.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Access | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes free?

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

### Is Safe Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes or Safe Notes?

Notes is rated higher. Notes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 654 ratings, while Safe Notes averages 4.3 from 19 ratings.

### Do Notes or Safe Notes have ads?

Both Notes and Safe Notes show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes or Safe Notes?

Notes ships an update monthly, and Safe Notes every 10 days. Most recently, Notes was updated on September 22, 2026 and Safe Notes on August 27, 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.*