Recall vs Private Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Recall
This app creates a personal knowledge base by summarizing online content like videos, articles, and podcasts. It automatically categorizes and links saved summaries, aiding in content discovery and connection. It also employs spaced repetition and active recall techniques to enhance long-term knowledge retention.
- Summarize any online content
- Save summaries to personal knowledge base
- Automatic categorization of summaries
- Automatic linking of related content
- Spaced repetition reviews
- Active recall testing
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Every AI gives you the same answers. Recall gives you yours. Join over 500K professionals, students and lifelong learners who are saving hours and turning their knowledge into their edge. One living space for your knowledge and the AI model of your choice. Save what matters, write what you think. Over time, you curate an AI that knows what you know. SAVE, SUMMARIZE & ORGANIZE INSTANTLY Share YouTube videos, podcasts, articles, PDFs, TikToks, recipes, and more with the Recall app. We do the rest. AGENTIC AI CHAT Ask questions across your entire knowledge base, search the internet, or combine both in one conversation. Choose your AI model. Switch models mid conversation. No lock in. LISTEN MODE Turn any content into a summary you can listen to in a custom voice you create. Learn on the go, your way. AUTOMATIC ORGANIZATION See how everything you've saved connects. Your content is automatically categorized and linked, no manual filing. Explore your knowledge visually and discover relationships you didn't know existed. QUIZ & RETAIN Stop doom scrolling and start learning. Generate quizzes on any content. Challenge friends with public quizzes. Spaced repetition and active recall resurface what you've saved at optimal intervals to lock it into long-term memory. BUILT FOR POWER USERS Bulk summarize, tag, connect, and generate quizzes at scale. API and MCP access lets you connect your knowledge base to any other AI tool. CROSS-DEVICE SYNC Start on mobile, finish on desktop. Don't break your workflow.
Private Notes
This app transcribes and summarizes audio recordings entirely on your device, ensuring complete privacy. It offers real-time transcription, AI-generated summaries of key points and action items, and supports multiple languages, all without requiring an internet connection or account.
- 100% on-device processing
- Real-time transcription
- AI-powered summaries
- Multilingual support (10 languages)
- Offline functionality
- Export in Markdown
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Your meetings stay private. Every word, every summary, every action item - processed entirely on your device. No servers. No uploads. No accounts. Just you and your notes. COMPLETELY OFFLINE - TRULY PRIVATE Unlike other AI notetakers that upload your audio to cloud services, Private Notes - AI Note Taker processes everything using Apple Intelligence directly on your iPhone. Your sensitive work discussions, confidential calls, and personal voice memos never leave your device. No internet required (except for time you subscribe). Sync is off by default. No data collection. Period. REAL-TIME TRANSCRIPTION Watch your words appear instantly as you speak. Private Notes - AI Note Taker uses Apple's speech recognition for real-time transcription with minimal latency. AI-POWERED SUMMARIES Stop wasting hours reviewing recordings. When your meeting ends, Apple Intelligence instantly generates: • Comprehensive narrative summary • Key points and highlights • Important decisions made • Action items with assignees • Main topics and themes discussed • Handles recordings of any length with full context preserved. MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT Transcribe in 10 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. DESIGNED FOR PRIVACY FROM DAY 1 • Zero data collection - we literally cannot access your data • No account required - start recording in seconds • Audio never leaves your device - all processing happens on-device • Optional encrypted iCloud backup - sync transcripts across devices • Works in airplane mode - recording and AI work fully offline • Encrypted local storage - iOS-level security built in • No analytics or tracking - your usage is your business SIMPLE AND POWERFUL FEATURES • One-tap recording with elegant, intuitive interface • Background recording - switch apps without stopping your session • Full searchable transcript with accurate timestamps • Beautiful dark mode support • Compact app size - no bloated AI models to download • Export transcripts and summaries in Markdown DEVICE REQUIREMENTS AI summaries require Apple Intelligence enabled device. Speech transcription works on all devices. WHY PRIVATE NOTES - AI NOTE TAKER Most AI notetakers and voice recorder apps process your voice on remote servers. That means your confidential discussions - therapy sessions, doctor visits, legal consultations, salary negotiations, business strategies - travel through the internet and sit on someone else's computer indefinitely. Private Notes - AI Note Taker is different. We built this offline note taker from the ground up to be 100% local and on-device. No compromises. No "mostly private" half-measures. Paid users who want backup can enable optional iCloud sync - encrypted by Apple, with no third-party access. Sync is off by default, and we still can't see your data. When you delete a recording, it's gone forever - because we never had access to it in the first place. PERFECT FOR • Lawyers and legal professionals • Business professionals who value confidentiality • Students and academic researchers • Journalists and content creators • Anyone who wants AI without surveillance FREE TO TRY Start recording with Private Notes - AI Note Taker for free and experience truly private AI note-taking. No account required, no time limits. Start recording with Private Notes for free — no account required, no time limits. Get 3 recordings per month, real-time transcription, AI summaries, and export features - all processed 100% on your device. When you're ready for more, upgrade to Premium: • Unlimited recordings • Full export and sharing • Optional encrypted iCloud sync • Monthly or yearly subscription options — cancel anytime Download Private Notes - AI Note Taker and experience the future of note-taking — intelligent, instant, and completely private. Terms of Use: https://privatenotes.app/terms-of-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Private Notes at 100% against Recall's 53%. Private Notes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1). Recall's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (67 vs 11). On price, update cadence and ads 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. Private Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Recall asks for nothing beyond the download.
Private Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Recall has 67 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Recall's written reviews are positive against 100% of Private Notes's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Recall | Private Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (67 ratings) | 5.0 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 67 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Paul Richards | App Incubator Inc. |
Customer experience
Recall
Private Notes
In-app purchases
Recall
No in-app purchases
Private Notes
- Weekly Plan3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Monthly Plan$4.991 Month
- Yearly Plan$24.991 Year









