# Recall vs Private Notes

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Recall | Private Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recall-summarize-and-save/id6445893722/reviews) | **[5.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes-ai-note-taker/id6752633041/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **67** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 53.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 81 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Paul Richards](https://appshunter.io/developer/1674570950) | [App Incubator Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527929929) |

## What reviewers say

### Recall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recall-summarize-and-save/id6445893722)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Private Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes-ai-note-taker/id6752633041)

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.

**Highlights:** 100% on-device processing, Real-time transcription, AI-powered summaries, Multilingual support (10 languages), Offline functionality, Export in Markdown

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Recall free?

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

### Is Private Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Recall or Private Notes?

Private Notes is rated higher. Recall averages 4.1 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Private Notes averages 5.0 from 11 ratings.

### Do Recall or Private Notes have ads?

Neither Recall nor Private Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Recall or Private Notes?

Recall ships an update every 3 weeks, and Private Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Recall was updated on October 17, 2026 and Private Notes on September 29, 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.*