Comparison

QR Notes vs Idea Vault

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

Head to head
About

QR Notes

Read full description

Meet QR Notes, your new journaling companion. Scan, Save, Secure: Do you love jotting down thoughts in your paper journal but wish for the space and security of digital? QR Notes bridges the gap! How It Works: 1. Print & Stick: Start by printing the QR stickers we provide. Stick them in your journal, notebook, or anywhere you want to add a digital note. 2. Scan to Save: Whenever you want to add a detailed note, simply scan the QR sticker with the QR Notes app. Write down your thoughts, ideas, or any information. 3. Top-tier Security: With each scan, your note is encrypted using a unique AES 128-bit key embedded in the QR sticker. Your notes aren't just saved; they're secured. 4. Rescan to Retrieve: Want to access your note again? Just scan the sticker, and voila! Your encrypted note decrypts instantly for your eyes only. Organize Your Thoughts: Introducing "Journals" - the feature that lets you categorize and organize your digital notes. Whether it's personal musings, work notes, or project ideas, keep everything neatly in its place. Don't Have a Sticker? No Worries! With our Draft Notes feature, jot down your thoughts even if you don't have a QR sticker on hand. Later, you can easily transfer and encrypt them onto a sticker. Experience a fresh blend of traditional and digital journaling. With QR Notes, your journaling possibilities are endless, your memories secured, and your creativity amplified. Download QR Notes and redefine your journaling journey.

About

Idea Vault

A secure and intuitive application for capturing, organizing, and protecting your thoughts and ideas. Features rich text editing, powerful search, and cross-device synchronization. Keep your inspiration safe and accessible.

Highlights
  • Rich text editing
  • Distraction-free interface
  • Organize with tags, colors, moods, locations
  • Powerful instant search
  • On-device AES encryption
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Light and Dark Mode
Features
Read full description

Idea Vault is a clean, distraction free space to capture ideas the moment they strike and organize them your way. WRITE FREELY A minimal editor with real formatting: bold, italic, underline, headings, and bullet lists — plus undo and redo, so you can write without worrying about a mistake. Start faster with built in templates for meeting notes, journal entries, and to do lists, or begin from a blank page. STAY ORGANIZED Tag notes, add a mood, drop a location, and color code anything that matters. Search finds what you need instantly — by title, body, tag, mood, or location — and quick filter chips jump you straight to favorites, encrypted notes, or any tag. Sort however you think: newest first, oldest first, alphabetical, or favorites first. YOUR NOTES, PROTECTED Lock individual notes with on device AES 256 encryption, or encrypt everything at once. Protect the whole vault with Face ID or your device passcode. Nothing leaves your device unless you choose to share it. SHARE ON YOUR TERMS Export any note as rich text or plain text and send it wherever you need it, or back up your entire vault at once from Settings. STAY ON TRACK Turn on a daily reminder so a good idea never slips away. Idea Vault is free to use, with optional ads you can remove forever with a single one time purchase. No subscriptions, no accounts, no clutter. Just a fast, private place for your best ideas.

Screenshots

QR Notes4 screens
Idea Vault4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: QR Notes at none against Idea Vault's 1. QR Notes also leads on ads (none vs shown). Idea Vault's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 20 months). On price, device support 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. Idea Vault sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. QR Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

QR Notes ships an update every 20 months, Idea Vault every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
QR Notes versus Idea Vault: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQR NotesIdea Vault
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAthanasios Bountioukos - SpinarisKevin Struna

In-app purchases

None

QR Notes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Idea Vault

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is QR Notes free?
QR Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Idea Vault free?
Idea Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do QR Notes or Idea Vault have ads?
Idea Vault shows ads; QR Notes does not.
Which is updated more often, QR Notes or Idea Vault?
QR Notes ships an update every 20 months, and Idea Vault every 5 weeks. Most recently, QR Notes was updated on September 29, 2026 and Idea Vault on October 4, 2026.

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