Comparison

Secure Notes vs Shell Notes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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/

About

Shell Notes

Features
Read full description

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

Secure Notes4 screens
Shell Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Secure Notes versus Shell Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSecure NotesShell Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews20.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmanuele FlorisIvan Dotsenko

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Secure Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Unlimited Access3 Days trial$2.991 Year
3 purchases

Shell Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Shell Notes Pro Weekly$0.997 Days
  • Shell Notes Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Shell Notes Pro Lifetime$17.99

Questions

Is Secure Notes free?
Secure Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shell Notes free?
Shell Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Secure Notes or Shell Notes have ads?
Neither Secure Notes nor Shell Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Secure Notes or Shell Notes?
Secure Notes ships an update every 8 months, and Shell Notes every 5 weeks. Most recently, Secure Notes was updated on October 26, 2026 and Shell Notes on October 28, 2026.

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