# Notebox vs BalanceMind

The clearest difference is rating: BalanceMind at 5.0 against Notebox's 4.3. BalanceMind also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Notebox's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebox sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. BalanceMind asks for nothing beyond the download.

BalanceMind holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Notebox's written reviews are positive against 100% of BalanceMind's.

Notebox ships an update every 2 days, BalanceMind every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 2, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebox | BalanceMind |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebox-encrypted/id1536532586/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balancemind-meditation-and-work/id1628829143/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 49 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guap Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439069409) | [Nikita Pishchugin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628829145) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebox-encrypted/id1536532586)

This app offers a secure, block-based editor with Markdown support for local note-taking. For cross-device synchronization and real-time updates, a subscription unlocks cloud features with zero-knowledge encryption.

**Highlights:** Zero-knowledge encryption, Block-based editor, Markdown support, Local-only mode, Cross-device sync, Real-time updates

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Cloud Subscription | $1.49 | per month |
| Yearly Cloud Subscription | $14.99 | per year |


### BalanceMind

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balancemind-meditation-and-work/id1628829143)

This app helps you focus on tasks by setting timers for focused work sessions. It offers relaxing melodies and prevents interruptions by disallowing pausing or quitting the timer once started. Customize your experience with different themes and haptic feedback.

**Highlights:** Customizable timers (5 mins to 3 hours), Relaxing background melodies, No-pause/no-quit timer for uninterrupted focus, Calendar integration, Haptic feedback, Light, Dark, and System themes

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebox free?

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

### Is BalanceMind free?

BalanceMind is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Notebox or BalanceMind?

BalanceMind is rated higher. Notebox averages 4.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while BalanceMind averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Notebox or BalanceMind have ads?

Neither Notebox nor BalanceMind shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notebox or BalanceMind?

Notebox ships an update every 2 days, and BalanceMind every 2 months. Most recently, Notebox was updated on June 2, 2026 and BalanceMind on September 23, 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.*