Comparison

Notesnook vs Zero

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Notesnook

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
Read full description

Your notes are yours. Notesnook encrypts every one of them on your device before it ever reaches the cloud — so no one can read them. Not advertisers, not us. UNLIMITED NOTES. EVERY DEVICE. FREE. Most note apps cap the free plan until it hurts. Others stop after a few dozen notes. Notesnook never limits how much you write or how many devices you sync. A REAL EDITOR Headings, tables, code blocks, maths, outlines, Markdown and full-quality images. Notes that hold up whether you are writing a shopping list or a thesis chapter. ORGANISED AT ANY SIZE Nested notebooks, tags, colours, pinned and favourite notes, and search that stays instant at 10,000 notes. Link notes to each other and build your own private wiki. PRIVACY YOU CAN CHECK YOURSELF • End-to-end encryption is always on — you cannot switch it off, so you cannot forget • Encrypted on your device, in transit and at rest, using XChaCha20-Poly1305 and Argon2 • Even your notebook and tag names are encrypted • 100% open source under AGPLv3 — read every line, or run your own sync server • Recommended by Privacy Guides IMPORT YOUR OLD NOTES Bring your notes, notebooks and tags with you. Import from your previous notes app, plus plain Markdown and HTML files. EVERYWHERE YOU WRITE iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web. Sync is instant, and encrypted the whole way. ALSO INSIDE • Web clipper — save any article, ad-free and offline • Reminders across all your devices • Note version history, so nothing is ever really lost • Publish a note to a shareable link • Dark mode and custom themes FREE FOREVER Unlimited notes, unlimited devices, 50 notebooks, 50 tags and full end-to-end encryption. No ads. No trial countdown. PAID PLANS Add task lists, callouts, recurring reminders, more storage, and — on Pro — app lock, an encrypted vault and full-quality images. From $19.99 a year. Questions or feedback: support@streetwriters.co Privacy policy: https://notesnook.com/privacy Terms: https://notesnook.com/terms

About

Zero

Features
Read full description

Zero-Friction Tasks is the personal task manager for busy individuals who simply want to get things done – without signing up, without a mandatory subscription, and without complexity. New: just speak your task. NEW: VOICE TASKS. SAY IT – IT BECOMES A TASK. Hands full, in the car, on the go, or cooking? Speak a short note and it lands directly in your list. There are three ways to start: • Tap the microphone in the “Add Task” bar • Press and hold the large + button • Assign the iPhone Action Button: Settings > Action Button > Shortcut > “0F Voice Task” Speak your task and tap “Done.” Recording starts immediately and stops automatically after no more than 20 seconds. Only the recognized text is saved – never the audio recording. When iOS supports on-device speech recognition, it runs directly on your iPhone, so your voice never leaves the device. NO ACCOUNT. NO EMAIL. NO PASSWORD. Download and get started in 10 seconds. No registration. No confirmation email. No password to forget. Zero-Friction Tasks respects your time from the very first second. WHY ZERO-FRICTION TASKS? Most task apps demand an account before you can even begin. Many hide essential features behind complicated plans or store your data unencrypted. Zero-Friction Tasks takes a different approach: • No account required – start in seconds with a simple sync code • Free to start – no trial and no credit card required • End-to-end encrypted (AES-256) – the server never sees your tasks in plain text • Offline mode – core functionality remains available without a connection • Real-time sync – iPhone, Android, Windows, web, and macOS FOR INDIVIDUALS, NOT TEAMS. No Kanban boards. No Gantt charts. No collaboration features. Just your tasks – fast, private, and always available. KEY FEATURES: • Voice Tasks on iPhone – speak tasks instead of typing them • Global hotkey on Windows (Alt+Space) – capture tasks without switching apps • iOS widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Today View • Lists for work, home, shopping, and anything else • Pinned tasks – keep what matters at the top • One-time and recurring reminders • Dark Mode and offline mode • Drag-and-drop sorting Start for free. No sign-up. Your tasks, your way. Terms of Use (EULA): https://zerofriction.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://zerofriction.app/privacy

Screenshots

Notesnook4 screens
Zero4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Notesnook at every 8 days against Zero's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Notesnook sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Zero sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notesnook ships an update every 8 days, Zero monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Notesnook versus Zero: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotesnookZero
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (672 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings672 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size96 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStreetwriters LLCMarkus Hoefinger

Bugs and requests

Notesnook

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved search functionality
  • Reminders and calendar integration
  • Handwriting and drawing support
  • Multilingual support
  • Improved table and spreadsheet features

Zero

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

17 purchases

Notesnook

Subscriptions17
  • Notesnook Pro$0.991 Month
  • Notesnook Essential Plan7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro$2.491 Month
Show 14 more
  • Notesnook Pro Plan7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro3 variants$4.491 Month
  • Notesnook Pro1 Month trial$4.491 Month
  • Notesnook Pro Plan7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Notesnook Believer Plan7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Notesnook Pro$9.991 Year
  • Notesnook Essential Plan14 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro$24.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Plan14 Days trial$29.901 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Yearly$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • Notesnook Pro Plan14 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Notesnook Believer Plan14 Days trial$89.991 Year
3 purchases

Zero

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$89.99

Questions

Is Notesnook free?
Notesnook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zero free?
Zero is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Notesnook or Zero have ads?
Neither Notesnook nor Zero shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notesnook or Zero?
Notesnook ships an update every 8 days, and Zero monthly. Most recently, Notesnook was updated on October 16, 2026 and Zero on October 5, 2026.

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