# Notesnook vs Shared Notes

The clearest difference is ads: Notesnook at none against Shared Notes's shown. Notesnook also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 50%) and ratings volume (653 vs 11). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notesnook sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Shared Notes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notesnook holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notesnook has 653 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Notesnook's written reviews are positive against 50% of Shared Notes's.

Notesnook ships an update weekly, Shared Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notesnook | Shared Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (653 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013/reviews)** | [4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **653** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **78.2% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 89 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Streetwriters LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536533660) | [Juanma Del Boca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826820062) |

## 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


### Shared Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868)

This app helps couples and friends stay organized with shared lists and notes. It features AI tools to summarize, format, and correct text, along with private, password-protected notes and offline functionality.

**Highlights:** Shared grocery and to-do lists, AI summarization and grammar correction, Password-protected private notes, Offline note-taking and syncing, Real-time synchronization, Cross-platform compatibility

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Half Year Subscription | $4.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notesnook free?

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

### Is Shared Notes free?

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

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

Notesnook is rated higher. Notesnook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 653 ratings, while Shared Notes averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.

### Do Notesnook or Shared Notes have ads?

Shared Notes shows ads; Notesnook does not.

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

Notesnook ships an update weekly, and Shared Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Notesnook was updated on September 21, 2026 and Shared Notes on September 24, 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.*