# Filen vs PrivacyNotes

The clearest difference is rating: PrivacyNotes at 5.0 against Filen's 3.8. PrivacyNotes also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). Filen's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (123 vs 1). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PrivacyNotes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Filen asks for nothing beyond the download.

PrivacyNotes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Filen has 123 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Filen ships an update fortnightly, PrivacyNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Filen | PrivacyNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (123 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filen-cloud-storage/id1549224518/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacynotes-zero-knowledge/id6785958812/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **123** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 47.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 103 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Filen Cloud Dienste UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549224520) | [Lifetime Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785958814) |

## What reviewers say

### Filen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filen-cloud-storage/id1549224518)

Securely store photos, videos, and documents with military-grade encryption. Access files on any device, share them easily, and enjoy features like offline access and encrypted notes. Offers a free tier with 10 GB storage.

**Highlights:** 10 GB free storage, Unlimited pro storage, Secure client-side encryption, Offline file access, Cross-device file access, Encrypted notes and chats, Automatic camera upload

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 End-to-end encryption and privacy-focused design
- 💰 Affordable pricing with generous storage tiers
- 🌍 Open-source and transparent service
- 🚀 Fast upload/download speeds
- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes during uploads
- 📸 Photo/video upload failures and inconsistencies
- 🔄 Auto-upload feature unreliable and incomplete
- ⚠️ Data loss issues in Notes feature
- 🔐 Thumbnail cache exposed in Files app (security concern)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when uploading photos/videos
- Music pauses when app is minimized
- Photo upload stuck at specific file counts (e.g., 42 photos)
- Notes lose data during sync
- Note type conversion deletes text content

**Requested features**

- Video streaming/playback within app
- Read-only file mode option
- Back-sync feature (delete from phone, delete from cloud)
- Multi-select file upload capability
- iPad split-screen view support


### 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 Filen free?

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

### Is PrivacyNotes free?

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

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

PrivacyNotes is rated higher. Filen averages 3.8 out of 5 from 123 ratings, while PrivacyNotes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Filen or PrivacyNotes have ads?

Neither Filen nor PrivacyNotes shows ads.

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

Filen ships an update fortnightly, and PrivacyNotes every 3 days. Most recently, Filen was updated on September 29, 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.*