# Notesnook vs PrivacyNotes

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Notesnook at 653 against PrivacyNotes's 1. PrivacyNotes's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, ads, 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 PrivacyNotes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PrivacyNotes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notesnook has 653 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Notesnook ships an update weekly, PrivacyNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notesnook | PrivacyNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (653 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacynotes-zero-knowledge/id6785958812/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **653** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 89 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Streetwriters LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536533660) | [Lifetime Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785958814) |

## 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


### PrivacyNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacynotes-zero-knowledge/id6785958812)

Securely manage your notes, tasks, and journal with end-to-end encryption. This app ensures your data is private by design, with no trackers or ads. It works offline and syncs encrypted across your devices without requiring an account.

**Highlights:** Zero-knowledge encryption, Markdown-native notes, Task management, Private journaling, Offline functionality, Cross-device sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 GB Encrypted Storage | $4.99 | per year |
| 2 GB Encrypted Storage | $8.99 | per year |
| 5 GB Encrypted Storage | $17.99 | per year |
| PrivacyNotes Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notesnook free?

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

### Is PrivacyNotes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notesnook or PrivacyNotes?

PrivacyNotes is rated higher. Notesnook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 653 ratings, while PrivacyNotes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Notesnook or PrivacyNotes have ads?

Neither Notesnook nor PrivacyNotes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notesnook or PrivacyNotes?

Notesnook ships an update weekly, and PrivacyNotes every 3 days. Most recently, Notesnook was updated on October 2, 2026 and PrivacyNotes on September 20, 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.*