# Secure Notes vs Private Notes.

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Private Notes. at none against Secure Notes's 2. Private Notes. also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Secure Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secure Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Private Notes. asks for nothing beyond the download.

Secure Notes ships an update every 8 months, Private Notes. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secure Notes | Private Notes. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | **20.6% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 14 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Emanuele Floris](https://appshunter.io/developer/597490842) | [WALABOK LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/913827467) |

## What reviewers say

### Secure Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-notes-memo-and-lists/id602769533)

Securely store and organize your notes, ideas, and important information with advanced encryption. Protect your data with biometric authentication and access it from anywhere via cloud sync. Customize your experience with a dark mode and other preferences for peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Advanced encryption for maximum security, Intuitive note creation and editing, Password, Face ID, and Touch ID access, Cloud synchronization across devices, Dark mode and interface customization

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $0.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Access | $2.99 | per year |


### Private Notes.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes/id1539765495)

Securely store your personal thoughts, ideas, and text with a passcode or biometric authentication. This app offers intuitive text editing tools and a straightforward interface for organizing timestamped notes.

**Highlights:** Biometric and passcode security, Intuitive copy/paste/cut, Text formatting (underline, bold, italic), Timestamped notes, Straightforward user interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secure Notes free?

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

### Is Private Notes. free?

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

### Do Secure Notes or Private Notes. have ads?

Private Notes. shows ads; Secure Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Secure Notes or Private Notes.?

Secure Notes ships an update every 8 months, and Private Notes. every 2 months. Most recently, Secure Notes was updated on October 8, 2026 and Private Notes. on October 12, 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.*