Comparison

Discreet Notes vs Time Flies By

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

Time Flies By

Understand how you spend your time with a count-up tracker that runs multiple events simultaneously. Analyze your weekly habits with detailed breakdowns and spot trends over time. Stay focused with anti-sleep mode and access live updates via Dynamic Island.

Highlights
  • Simultaneous count-up time tracking
  • Tagging for context
  • Weekly analytics and trend comparison
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island integration
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Anti-sleep mode for focus
Read full description

How time flies, where did the time go? Time Flies By is a count-up time tracker that helps you understand your week without interrupting your workflow: - Get into the zone with an active running event, the phone will automatically enter anti-sleep mode. - Run multiple events simultaneously and leave them aside. Time events are automatically updated, and you can tag everything later as needed. Track multiple things at once: - Start multiple count-up events simultaneously. - Switch, pause, or end events anytime. - Add tags for quick context. Weekly analytics that make sense: - Weekly totals and breakdowns by tags. - Compare weeks to spot patterns and trends. - Review your week in a clear timeline. Always visible when you need it: - Live Activity for ongoing events. - Dynamic Island controls and glanceable status. Sync across devices: - iCloud sync keeps your events and tags up to date automatically. Premium: - Time Flies By is free for core tracking. - A Premium subscription or one-time purchase unlocks: - Analytics beyond 1 week. - Additional themes. Privacy: - Your time data stays yours. No ads. No trackers. No 3rd party services. Start a timer and finally answer: where did the time go? * Privacy Policy: https://airwolfspace.com/timefliesby/privacy * Terms of Use: https://airwolfspace.com/timefliesby/terms

Screenshots

Discreet Notes4 screens
Time Flies By4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Discreet Notes at none against Time Flies By's 3. Discreet Notes also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Time Flies By sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Discreet Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Discreet Notes ships an update every 9 days, Time Flies By weekly. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Discreet Notes versus Time Flies By: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDiscreet NotesTime Flies By
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIvan MilicevicKai Luo

Customer experience

Discreet Notes

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

Time Flies By

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Discreet Notes

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Time Flies By

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$14.99

Questions

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

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