Comparison

Browser Note vs Private Browser

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

Head to head
About

Browser Note

Add reminders and notes directly to any website to help you pause and think before acting. Block specific pages or entire sites, customize snooze timers, and sync notes across your Apple devices. Improve mental health and break habits by adding prompts to news or shopping sites.

Highlights
  • Add reminders to any website
  • Block websites or specific pages
  • Customizable snooze timer
  • Sync notes via iCloud
  • Text and video tutorials
  • Privacy-focused, no data collection
Features
Read full description

Put a pause between you and bad browsing habits. The web is full of places we open without thinking. Browser Note lets you place your own reminder directly in front of a website, giving you a moment to reconsider before doomscrolling, ordering another takeaway, checking social media, or making an impulse purchase. Your reminder appears whenever you visit the chosen page or website in Safari. It can be a gentle prompt, an important instruction, or simply a note you want to have close at hand. USE BROWSER NOTE TO: • Interrupt websites you open on autopilot • Add reminders to product pages and checkouts • Leave useful context on websites you return to • Create a pause before distracting or time-consuming browsing • Put frequently copied information exactly where you need it POWERFUL, SIMPLE CONTROLS • Add notes using the Safari extension or the iOS share sheet • Apply a note to one page or an entire website • Begin with an emoji to give each note its own icon • Choose whether a note can be temporarily snoozed • Set your preferred snooze duration • Adjust the note text size • Tap a note to copy its text • Manage all your notes from the app AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE Browser Note works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Your notes sync through iCloud, so a reminder created on one device can appear on all the others without needing to create a new account. Step-by-step instructions inside the app make installing and using the Safari extension straightforward. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Browser Note contains no advertising, analytics, or browsing tracking. Your notes remain on your devices and in your iCloud account. TRY IT FOR FREE Create up to three notes for free. A single one-off purchase unlocks unlimited notes forever on all of your supported devices. There is no subscription. Browser Note was created by independent developer Ben Dodson.

About

Private Browser

Features
Read full description

Private Browser is a fast, ad-free way to use the web on iPhone. It blocks ads and trackers before they load, keeps your browsing to yourself, and puts a lock on the whole app. No account. No profile. Nothing sold. BLOCK ADS AND TRACKERS • Over 120,000 filter rules from EasyList and EasyPrivacy, applied before a page starts loading • Pages load faster and use less data, because the ads never arrive • Cookie banners hidden automatically • A live counter shows exactly what was blocked on the page you are reading • Turn protection off for one site you trust, without turning it off everywhere PRIVATE TABS THAT REALLY ARE PRIVATE • Private tabs use a separate, temporary store — nothing is written to disk • Close the last private tab and the whole session is destroyed, not just hidden • Normal tabs keep history only for as long as you want it; clear any part of it in one tap LOCK THE APP, NOT JUST THE SCREEN • Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode to open the app (Pro) • The page is covered the moment you switch apps, so nothing shows in the app switcher • Files you download are stored with iOS file protection and stay unreadable while the device is locked BUILT FOR READING, NOT FOR ADS • Reader mode strips a page down to the article • Dark mode for any website, not just the ones that support it (Pro) • Toolbars get out of the way as you scroll and come straight back • Tabs, bookmarks, reading list and downloads, all where you expect them SEARCH THE WAY YOU PREFER • Choose from DuckDuckGo, Google, Bing, Brave, Startpage, Ecosia, Yahoo or Baidu • HTTPS-Only mode, so an insecure page never loads by accident • Encrypted DNS guidance built in • QR scanner, downloads manager and full backup SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE Every screen is translated into 36 languages, including Arabic and Hebrew with full right-to-left layout. PRIVATE BROWSER PRO Private Browser Pro removes every upgrade prompt, includes each new feature as it arrives, and comes with priority email support. App Lock and Dark Page are part of Pro. Choose a weekly or yearly subscription, or buy Lifetime once and own it outright with no subscription at all. The price for your country, the renewal date, and the length of any free trial offered are always shown in the app before you confirm. Nothing is charged until you do, and a free trial is free. A subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your Apple Account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of that period. You can manage or cancel a subscription at any time in Settings on your device. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/privacy-policy-004/home Support: https://sites.google.com/view/eteamhelp

Screenshots

Browser Note4 screens
Private Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Browser Note at 4.3 against Private Browser's 1.0. Browser Note also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). Private Browser's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Private Browser sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Browser Note asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Browser Note holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Browser Note ships an update every 3 months, Private Browser every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Browser Note versus Private Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrowser NotePrivate Browser
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB31 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDodo AppsMD. NASAR UDDIN REDOY

Customer experience

Browser Note

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Private Browser

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Browser Note

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Private Browser

Subscriptions2
  • Private Browser Pro (Weekly)$9.997 Days
  • Private Browser Pro (Yearly)3 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Special Offer$49.99
  • Private Browser Pro Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is Browser Note free?
Browser Note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Private Browser free?
Private Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Browser Note or Private Browser?
Browser Note is rated higher. Browser Note averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Private Browser averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Browser Note or Private Browser have ads?
Neither Browser Note nor Private Browser shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Browser Note or Private Browser?
Browser Note ships an update every 3 months, and Private Browser every 3 weeks. Most recently, Browser Note was updated on November 3, 2026 and Private Browser on November 13, 2026.

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