# QR Notes vs Idea Vault

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.

Both are free to download. Idea Vault sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. QR Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | QR Notes | Idea Vault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idea-vault-notes-and-journal/id6572281488/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Athanasios Bountioukos - Spinaris](https://appshunter.io/developer/1709546328) | [Kevin Struna](https://appshunter.io/developer/1700293634) |

## What reviewers say

### QR Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-notes-digitalize-notes/id6468128087)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Idea Vault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idea-vault-notes-and-journal/id6572281488)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*