Saber vs Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Saber
Capture and organize your thoughts with a digital handwriting app designed for intuitive use. Features include dark mode inversion for eye comfort, advanced highlighter capabilities, and robust folder organization. Secure your notes with a dual-password system and enjoy seamless syncing across all your devices.
- Intuitive handwriting interface
- Dark mode inversion for eye comfort
- Advanced multi-line equation highlighting
- Unlimited nested folders for organization
- Dual-password note protection
- Seamless cross-device syncing
- Open-source code for transparency
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Saber is the notes app built for handwriting. It's designed to be as simple and intuitive as possible, while still delivering unique features that you'll actually use. Additionally, Saber is available across all your devices, large and small, and syncs between them seamlessly. Notably, it can invert your notes when you're in dark mode. This allows you to write with white ink on a black background, which is much easier on the eyes in low-light environments like when the teacher turns off the lights in class. Images and PDFs are also inverted, so you can still use a digital printout or a textbook without the fuss. Saber uses a dual-password system to protect your notes from anyone but you, even if they have complete control over the server. You can safely store your notes on the official Saber server, another server, or even host your own! The app is completely open-source so that anyone can view the source code and see exactly what it's doing and how it handles your data. Many other note-taking apps are closed-source and proprietary, meaning that their inner workings are a mystery to the public. As someone who studies maths, highlighting multi-line equations was always a hassle with other apps, where the highlighter would change color when it overlapped with itself. Another problem I had was that in some apps, the highlighter would render on top of the text, fading it out and making it hard to read. Saber's highlighter has no such issues. It utilizes canvas compositing to render the highlighter in a way that is consistent with/better than traditional paper, where it handles overlaps and maintains color consistency. Saber has everything you need to keep your notes organized. Create folders inside folders inside folders to your heart's content with no limit on the number of nested folders. And even though a note may be buried deep within a nested folder, you can still access it easily with your most recent notes always available on the home screen. Discover a whole new way to capture and organize your thoughts with Saber. Whether you're a student, professional, or creative mind, Saber is your trusted companion for digital handwriting. Download now and let your ideas flow freely!
Notes
A privacy-focused note-taking app that offers secure, encrypted storage and synchronization via Nextcloud, iCloud, or WebDAV. Write notes offline and maintain full control over your data with this GDPR-compliant, open-source solution.
- Markdown and rich text editor
- End-to-end encryption (E2EE)
- Nextcloud, iCloud, and WebDAV sync
- Offline note-taking
- To-do lists and tasks
- GDPR and BDSG compliant
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BrewMemo: The Ultimate PRIVACY-FOCUSED Markdown Suite – 100% Made in Germany Stop compromising on your digital sovereignty. With BrewMemo, you manage your notes simply, securely, and privately using the power of your own Nextcloud infrastructure. In an era of data harvesting, BrewMemo stands as a fortress for your ideas. You get full control over your notebook and your Markdown notes—always synced, reliably protected, and available on all your devices without ever touching a third-party server you don't trust. Whether you are a creative professional, a researcher, a student, or a privacy-conscious organization, BrewMemo is the professional choice for secure digital journaling and structured knowledge management. WHY BREWMEMO IS DIFFERENT TOTAL DATA SOVEREIGNTY: Unlike mainstream note apps that lock your data in proprietary silos, BrewMemo uses your own Nextcloud server as the backbone. Your Markdown notes remain your property, stored in your own environment. DEEP NEXTCLOUD INTEGRATION: We don't just "support" Nextcloud; we are built for it. Experience seamless background synchronization that feels invisible but works like a charm. No middleman, no metadata tracking, just your data on your server. GDPR COMPLIANCE BY DESIGN: Developed in Germany, BrewMemo adheres to the world’s strictest privacy regulations. It is the ideal solution for professionals handling sensitive business information, legal notes, or private medical data. ZERO VENDOR LOCK-IN: Your notes are stored as plain Markdown files. This means even if you stop using BrewMemo, your data remains readable by any text editor. We give you the keys to your own digital kingdom. A SUPERIOR WRITING & ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERIENCE BrewMemo isn't just a place to dump text; it’s a precision tool designed for deep work and organized thinking. PRO-GRADE MARKDOWN EDITOR: Enjoy a distraction-free environment with a powerful Markdown engine. Render tables, lists, and headers perfectly while maintaining a clean, aesthetic interface. SMART ORGANIZATION SYSTEM: Moving beyond simple folders—use our advanced Pin & Tag system to create a multi-dimensional organization. Categorize your projects, thoughts, and tasks so they are always exactly where you need them. CUSTOMIZABLE ECOSYSTEM: Your notebook should reflect your style. Choose from a variety of professionally designed themes, including an optimized High-Contrast Dark Mode for late-night focus sessions. OFFLINE-FIRST ARCHITECTURE: Don't let a poor connection stop your creativity. Write, edit, and organize while offline in a plane or a remote cabin. BrewMemo intelligently merges your changes to your Nextcloud or iCloud as soon as you reconnect. YOUR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (PKM) POWERHOUSE BrewMemo is more than just a notes app—it is the hub for your "Second Brain." By combining the simplicity of Markdown with the security of private synchronization, it supports modern methodologies like Zettelkasten or GTD (Getting Things Done). KEY FEATURES AT A GLANCE Markdown Perfection: Maximum clarity with standard-compliant formatting. Native Nextcloud Sync: Secure, private, and lightning-fast server communication. iCloud Support: Alternative sync options for those deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem. Advanced Export Options: Convert your notes to TXT or share them directly with other apps. Universal Compatibility: Works seamlessly across your mobile devices and tablets. Multi-Account Support: Easily manage personal and professional notebooks in one interface. JOIN THE PRIVACY REVOLUTION Don't let your ideas become someone else's training data. Join thousands of users who have switched to a more ethical, secure, and professional way of writing. Your thoughts. Your Markdown. Your Nextcloud. Your BrewMemo.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Notes at 5.0 against Saber's 4.0. Saber's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (76% vs 50%). On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Saber asks for nothing beyond the download.
Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Saber has 21 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Saber's written reviews are positive against 50% of Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Saber ships an update fortnightly, Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Saber | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (21 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 21 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Adil Hanney | Brewcode GmbH |
Customer experience
Saber
Notes
In-app purchases
Saber
No in-app purchases
Notes
- Monthly Access7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Yearly Access7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Full Access – Lifetime$89.99









