NotePass vs Dark Memos
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NotePass
This app allows users to type messages and display them full-screen for others to read. It's useful for situations where speaking is difficult or inappropriate, such as in meetings or noisy environments.
- Full-screen message display
- Customizable notes
- Save favorite notes
- Pre-loaded popular notes
- Communicate without speaking
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NotePass is the app that lets you speak when you can't be heard. It turns your phone into a giant sign. Type what you need to say, tap Show, and hold up the screen — everyone around you reads it instantly, no talking required. FEATURES • Type a note, tap Show — instant full-screen display in giant type • Save your favorite notes for one-tap reuse • Swipe between saved notes without leaving full-screen • Live variables — drop {time}, {day}, {date}, or {battery} into any note and watch it update in real time, even a live {countdown} • Choose your icon — Default or Retro • Speaks your language — 11 languages, including full right-to-left layout for Arabic and Hebrew (note, translations used AI and may contain inaccuracies) • Fast, private, and free: no accounts, no ads, no data collected USES • Getting through a meeting without interrupting • Getting the bartender's or DJ's attention in a loud room • Speaking when you've lost your voice • Signing to someone hard of hearing • Roadside alerts to other drivers • Flirting, obviously Tell your friends!
Dark Memos
Create handwritten notes with a dark background. Organize your notes using folders. Ads are present but can be removed with an add-on purchase.
- Handwritten notes
- Black background theme
- Folder organization
- Ad-supported
- Ad-on to hide ads
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A simple handwritten note app with Black background. You can organize using the folder feature. *Ads are displayed. It can be hidden with Add-on.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NotePass at none against Dark Memos's 1. NotePass also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 12 months vs every 33 months). Dark Memos's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating 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
Both are free to download. Dark Memos sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NotePass asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for NotePass against 5.0 for Dark Memos. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of NotePass's written reviews are positive against 100% of Dark Memos's.
NotePass ships an update every 12 months, Dark Memos every 33 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NotePass | Dark Memos |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months — better | Every 33 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ben Christen | tadashi atoji |
Customer experience
NotePass
Dark Memos
In-app purchases
NotePass
No in-app purchases
Dark Memos
- Remove Ads$3.99
