Comparison

Discreet Notes vs Recall

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

Head to head
About

Discreet Notes

This app offers a unique way to manage your notes with a strong emphasis on privacy. You can create truly hidden notes accessible only by their specific passphrase, or opt for visible notes for everyday use. It supports Markdown formatting and iCloud sync across Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Truly private hidden notes
  • Visible notes option
  • Raw Markdown editor
  • Markdown preview toggle
  • iCloud sync
  • Dark mode
Read full description

Your Notes, Your Secrets — Reimagined. Welcome to a different kind of notes app. Designed for privacy, built for simplicity, and powered by a unique approach to hidden notes. # Truly Private Notes Create hidden notes that don’t appear anywhere in the app. No titles, no previews, not even a count. The only way to access them? Enter the exact passphrase you used to create them. If you don’t remember it, it’s like the note never existed. # Visible Notes, If You Want Them Prefer something more traditional? Mark any note as visible, and it will show up in your list. Easily switch between your private thoughts and everyday to-dos. # Raw Markdown + Preview Toggle Write in pure Markdown, and toggle to preview your note beautifully rendered. Focus on content first, then enjoy the polished result—no distractions, no clutter. # iCloud Sync Keep your notes with you, securely synced across all your Apple devices. # Dark Mode Thoughtfully designed for low-light environments, perfect for night writing or discreet journaling. Why You’ll Love It - Journal without leaving a trace. - Store sensitive thoughts or ideas without fear of exposure. - Draft blog posts, code snippets, or creative writing in Markdown. - Keep everyday notes visible, and hidden notes truly hidden. Minimal. Powerful. Private.

About

Recall

This app automatically organizes your daily notes chronologically and by hour, eliminating the need for manual folder creation. It uses simple categorization and smart filters to ensure your thoughts are always accessible and searchable.

Highlights
  • Automatic chronological organization
  • Daily note creation
  • Effortless categorization with colons
  • Smart Recalls with keyword filtering
  • Organized by hour
  • Self-updating folders
Features
Read full description

Notes are where your thoughts go to die. Recall is here to change that. Recall is a daily note-taking app that makes it effortless to capture your thoughts and ensure they stay organized without any manual effort. Unlike traditional note-taking apps, you don't need to create folders or organize your notes—Recall does it for you, automatically. Start each day with a fresh note, and let Recall handle the rest. Your notes are displayed chronologically, organized by the hour, making it easy to revisit your day at a glance. You can also create powerful "folders" that update themselves based on your categories or keywords. With Recall, you can: Capture Daily Notes Effortlessly: Every day, you begin with a blank slate, ready to note down anything that comes to mind. Organize Without Thinking: Use a simple colon after the first word (e.g., "Home: Water the plants") to instantly categorize your notes. Create Smart Recalls: Automatically organize your notes based on categories or use custom Recalls to filter your entries by up to 5 keywords, making it easy to find what matters most. Whether it's keeping track of daily thoughts, managing to-dos, or recalling key information, Recall makes sure your thoughts are always within reach—organized, searchable, and ready when you need them. Recall: Don't let your thoughts slip away. Organize them effortlessly. Terms and conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Discreet Notes4 screens
Recall4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Discreet Notes at 100% against Recall's 40%. Discreet Notes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). Recall's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 9 days). On price, ads, 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. Recall sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Discreet Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Discreet Notes ships an update every 9 days, Recall daily. Both last shipped on June 4, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Discreet Notes versus Recall: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDiscreet NotesRecall
PriceFreeFree
Rating—2.7 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIvan MilicevicAdam Kovacs

Customer experience

Discreet Notes

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Recall

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

None

Discreet Notes

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Recall

Subscriptions3
  • Recall Pro - Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Recall Pro - Annual7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Discreet Notes free?
Discreet Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Recall free?
Recall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Discreet Notes or Recall have ads?
Neither Discreet Notes nor Recall shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Discreet Notes or Recall?
Discreet Notes ships an update every 9 days, and Recall daily. Most recently, Discreet Notes was updated on June 4, 2026 and Recall on June 4, 2026.

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