# Notebook vs Safe Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Safe Notes at 4.3 against Notebook's 1.0. Safe Notes also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (19 vs 1). Notebook's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebook 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.

Safe Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Safe Notes has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Notebook ships an update every 7 months, Safe Notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | Safe Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-notes-and-diary/id1501715117/reviews) | **[4.3 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safe-notes-notebook-notepad/id1644297724/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **19** |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 13 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Abhaykumar Kasundra](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483184372) | [QUYEN NGUYEN](https://appshunter.io/developer/988288907) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-notes-and-diary/id1501715117)

Securely store your important memos and favorite data with passcode protection. Sync your notes across devices via iCloud, export them as PDFs, and enjoy customizable themes. Never lose a thought with this free utility.

**Highlights:** Passcode protection for notes, iCloud sync for all notes, Export notes as PDF, Widget for quick access, Customizable themes, Search and sort notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### 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 Notebook free?

Notebook 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, Notebook or Safe Notes?

Safe Notes is rated higher. Notebook averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Safe Notes averages 4.3 from 19 ratings.

### Do Notebook or Safe Notes have ads?

Both Notebook and Safe Notes show ads.

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

Notebook ships an update every 7 months, and Safe Notes every 10 days. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 3, 2026 and Safe Notes on September 26, 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.*