Secure Notes vs Shell Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Secure Notes
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.
- 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
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Your thoughts deserve total privacy. Some ideas are too personal to risk. Passwords, secret plans, private memories — this app keeps them locked away on your device, always. No cloud. No servers. No one but you. BUILT FOR PRIVACY Your notes never leave your device. No syncing, no uploading, no exposure. What you write stays with you — period. LOCK IT DOWN Protect everything with a password. Enable Face ID or Touch ID for instant, secure access in seconds. MAKE IT YOURS Choose from 16 beautiful backgrounds to match your mood. A notes app that feels personal. SIMPLE AND POWERFUL Create, edit, search, and sort your notes effortlessly. Find anything instantly with smart search. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. ZERO ADS No distractions. No tracking. Just you and your thoughts. Whether you are storing passwords, journaling private thoughts, saving business ideas, or keeping sensitive info away from prying eyes — this is the vault you always needed. You may purchase an auto-renewing subscription through an In-App Purchase. • Auto-renewable subscription. • Subscription durations: Monthly or Annual (both include a free trial period). • Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew (at the duration selected) unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Current subscription may not be cancelled during the active subscription period; however, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/site/privacycoldat/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Shell Notes
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Encrypted notes that never leave your device. No cloud, no account, no tracking. Shell Notes is a private, offline notes app with one sharp focus: keep your writing local, encrypted, and yours alone — in a fast markdown and code editor with a calm, dark, developer-flavored theme. · Real AES-256-GCM encryption (audited open-source crypto: @noble/ciphers, @noble/hashes), keyed off your passphrase via PBKDF2-SHA256. · A master passphrase only you know. No recovery, by design — there is no backdoor and no copy of your data. · App-lock with optional Face ID. · Plain text, Markdown,JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, JSON, Shell, HTTP and CSS syntax highlighting. · Folders, starring, pinning, full-text search. · Eleven monospace typefaces — JetBrains Mono, Fira Code, IBM Plex Mono, Source Code Pro, Ubuntu Mono, Inconsolata, Anonymous Pro, Space Mono, Roboto Mono, VT323, and a default UI font. · A subtle scanline overlay you can switch off. · No analytics. No advertising. No sign-up, no email, no phone number. · No cloud sync, no remote model calls, no leakage. Your notes, folders and search index stay on this device. Export your vault to JSON through the iOS share sheet whenever you choose — nothing leaves otherwise. Shell Notes protects your notes at rest, on this device, with strong encryption. If you forget your passphrase, your locked notes are gone — there is no recovery. If your unlocked iPhone is in someone else's hands, the app is only as safe as your iOS lock screen and the auto-lock setting you choose inside Shell Notes. For developers, journalists, and anyone who closes an app the moment it asks for an email address. Quiet, local, yours. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shellnotes.surge.sh/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Shell Notes at every 5 weeks against Secure Notes's every 8 months. Secure Notes's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Secure Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Shell Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Secure Notes ships an update every 8 months, Shell Notes every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Secure Notes | Shell Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 20.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Emanuele Floris | Ivan Dotsenko |
In-app purchases
Secure Notes
- Unlimited Access3 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Unlimited Access3 Days trial$2.991 Year
Shell Notes
- Shell Notes Pro Weekly$0.997 Days
- Shell Notes Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
- Shell Notes Pro Lifetime$17.99
Questions
Is Secure Notes free?
Is Shell Notes free?
Do Secure Notes or Shell Notes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Secure Notes or Shell Notes?
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