# Notesnook vs Discreet Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Discreet Notes at none against Notesnook's 20. Discreet Notes also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%). Notesnook's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notesnook sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Discreet Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notesnook ships an update every 8 days, Discreet Notes every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notesnook | Discreet Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (672 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **672** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 96 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Streetwriters LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536533660) | [Ivan Milicevic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732082181) |

## 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


### Discreet Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/discreet-notes/id6478173166)

This app offers a unique way to manage your notes with a strong emphasis on privacy. You can create truly hidden notes accessible only by their specific passphrase, or opt for visible notes for everyday use. It supports Markdown formatting and iCloud sync across Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Truly private hidden notes, Visible notes option, Raw Markdown editor, Markdown preview toggle, iCloud sync, Dark mode

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notesnook free?

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

### Is Discreet Notes free?

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

### Do Notesnook or Discreet Notes have ads?

Neither Notesnook nor Discreet Notes shows ads.

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

Notesnook ships an update every 8 days, and Discreet Notes every 9 days. Most recently, Notesnook was updated on October 13, 2026 and Discreet Notes on October 3, 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.*