n+otes vs Lock Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
n+otes
Capture thoughts and ideas instantly with a simple interface. Secure your notes with a private lock feature. Optional subscription removes ads and supports development.
- Quick note-taking
- Private note lock
- Ad-free experience (subscription)
- Easy to use interface
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Great for those quick notes! Just tap the + button and start typing! Subscribe for the Ad-free Experience: To support further development and maintenance of the app, we have a small subscription so you can use the app without advertising: A monthly, 3-monthly or yearly purchase will be applied to your iTunes account on confirmation. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime with your iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered will be forfeited if you cancel a subscription. Terms: http://rieu.co.nz/terms.html Privacy Policy: http://rieu.co.nz/privacy.html
Lock Notes
Securely store and protect your private notes with a passcode or Touch ID. Keep sensitive information like passwords, secrets, and diary entries safe from unauthorized access. Backup and sync notes across devices, customize their appearance, and even add images.
- Passcode and Touch ID protection
- Security question recovery
- iCloud backup and sync
- Customizable font style and size
- Insert images into notes
- Print and share notes
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FINALLY AN APP FOR ALL YOUR PRIVATE NOTES! Keep your most valuable, private, and secret notes away from prying eyes. Keep them all totally secret and safe. Store passwords, secrets, contacts or just keep your diary private. KEY FEATURES: • Use Touch ID or passcode to safely lock access to your private notes. • Set a security question and answer in case you forget your passcode. • Safely Backup your valuable notes to iCloud. • Quickly Sync notes between iPhone & iPad with iCloud. • Sort notes list by name, date or manual. • Select notes font style and size. • Insert images & photos into notes. • Print your notes. • Send notes via text message or email. • Save notes to Camera Roll. • Support for Emoji Emoticons. This app allows you to automatically backup your notes for $9.99 a year through an auto-renewing subscription. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period You will not be able to cancel a subscription during the active period. You can manage your subscriptions in the Account Settings after purchase. Terms of use: http://www.katans.com/terms-of-use Privacy policy: http://www.katans.com/privacy-policy This app can be freely used up to two notes. A SINGLE PURCHASE COVERS ALL YOUR IPHONE AND IPAD DEVICES.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: n+otes at free with in-app purchases against Lock Notes's subscription. n+otes also leads on ratings volume (45K vs 1.1K) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Lock Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (73% vs 64%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. n+otes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month and Lock Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
n+otes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: n+otes has 45K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of n+otes's written reviews are positive against 73% of Lock Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
n+otes ships an update fortnightly, Lock Notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | n+otes | Lock Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (45K ratings) — better | 4.5 (1.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 64.1% of reviews | 73.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 45K — better | 1.1K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | RIEU Limited | JulyApps Ltd |
Customer experience
n+otes
Lock Notes
User reviews
n+otes
From 45K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient note-taking experience
- 🔒 Secure with passcode protection
- 💡 Customizable themes and backgrounds
- 👍 Great for organizing thoughts and ideas
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 💰 Intrusive ads interrupting workflow
- 🔋 Concerns about battery drain
- 🔒 Lack of cross-device syncing
Lock Notes
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔒 Secure notes
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient
- 🔑 Passcode/biometric protection
- 💾 Cloud backup
Room to improve
- 🔒 Limited free notes
- 💰 Paywall for advanced features
- 🐛 Crashes and data loss issues
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 📁 No folder organization
Bugs and requests
n+otes
Reported bugs
4 issues- Notes disappearing or getting lost
- Inability to delete notes on Apple Watch
- Scrolling issues and text freezing at the bottom
- Inconsistent behavior after updates
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to sync notes across devices
- More font and formatting options
- Folder or category organization
- Voice-to-text functionality
- Ability to insert images and attachments
Lock Notes
Reported bugs
3 issues- Notes disappearing after updates
- Inability to access notes after device reset
- Sync issues between devices
Requested features
5 requests- Advanced formatting options
- Ability to change passcode
- Improved search capabilities
- Folder/organization system
- Better backup and restore options
In-app purchases
n+otes
- Ad-free Experience (Monthly)$0.491 Month
- Ad-free Experience (3 Months)$0.993 Months
- Ad-free Experience (1 Year)$3.991 Year
- Remove Ads$19.99
Lock Notes
- Auto Backup$14.991 Year
- Unlimited Notes$4.99
- Lock Notes Pro$9.99
