# Notesnook vs Cloud Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Notesnook at 4.7 against Cloud Notes's 3.0. Notesnook also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 50%) and ratings volume (681 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notesnook sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Cloud Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notesnook holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notesnook has 681 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Notesnook's written reviews are positive against 50% of Cloud Notes's.

Notesnook ships an update every 8 days, Cloud Notes fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notesnook | Cloud Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (681 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013/reviews)** | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cloud-notes-watch-and-lists/id6462837166/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **681** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **78.8% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 96 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Streetwriters LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536533660) | [Fredrik Nikolai Lokke](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616869521) |

## What reviewers say

### Notesnook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notesnook Pro | $0.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Essential Plan | $1.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $2.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $4.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $4.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Believer Plan | $8.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $9.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Essential Plan | $19.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $29.90 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $69.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Believer Plan | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Improved search functionality
- Reminders and calendar integration
- Handwriting and drawing support
- Multilingual support
- Improved table and spreadsheet features


### Cloud Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cloud-notes-watch-and-lists/id6462837166)

Create, edit, and organize notes and lists directly from your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. Syncs securely via iCloud with an optional one-time Pro upgrade for enhanced features like sharing and customization.

**Highlights:** Create and edit notes on Apple Watch, iCloud sync across devices, Organize with tags and folders, Search and pin important notes, Share notes and lists (Pro), Customizable note appearance (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud Notes Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notesnook free?

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

### Is Cloud Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notesnook or Cloud Notes?

Notesnook is rated higher. Notesnook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 681 ratings, while Cloud Notes averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Notesnook or Cloud Notes have ads?

Neither Notesnook nor Cloud Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notesnook or Cloud Notes?

Notesnook ships an update every 8 days, and Cloud Notes fortnightly. Most recently, Notesnook was updated on October 20, 2026 and Cloud Notes on October 7, 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.*