Comparison

Discreet Notes vs Recall

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” 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 β€” 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 resultβ€”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

Features
Read full description

Recall is a personal memory app for iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac. Speak, type, or snap a moment β€” Recall files it away with the place and time it happened. CAPTURE HOWEVER YOU WANT β€’ Voice β€” tap to record, see your words transcribed live on screen β€’ Text β€” type a quick note when you can't talk β€’ Photo β€” snap with the camera or pick from your library TAGGED WITH PLACE AND TIME Every memory carries the location, address, and the moment it happened. Browse a Map view to see where you've been thinking. When you add an old photo, Recall offers to use the photo's date and original GPS instead of your current spot β€” so memories from the past land in the right place on the map. HANDS-FREE WITH SIRI AND APPLE WATCH Say "Hey Siri, save to Recall" from iPhone, Apple Watch, or HomePod β€” your iPhone files the memory away even while the app is asleep. Override the vault inline: "Hey Siri, save to Recall in TravelLog." Capture from your Watch by voice or tap, and it syncs back to iPhone the moment it reconnects. MULTIPLE VAULTS, YOUR FOLDERS Keep work, travel, and ideas in separate vaults. Vaults are just folders β€” yours to organize. Link any folder from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or your Mac's iCloud Drive, and your memories land where you want them. YOUR FILES, NOT OURS Every memory is a plain Markdown file with YAML frontmatter β€” open it in Obsidian, Apple Notes, any text editor, or just Finder. There's no proprietary database, no lock-in, and your vault folder IS the export. PRIVACY YOU CAN VERIFY Recall has no analytics, no tracking, no advertising, no accounts, and no servers we operate. Voice transcription uses Apple's on-device speech engine. Location tags only your own memories. Files live in iCloud or any folder you choose β€” nothing is sent to us. Available on iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac. Free, no in-app purchases.

Screenshots

Discreet Notes4 screens
Recall4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Discreet Notes at 17.0 against Recall's 26.2. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 7 level
Discreet Notes versus Recall: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDiscreet NotesRecall
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeβ€”
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch β€” better
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better26.2
Further details β€” not scored
Size9 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIvan MilicevicSanjay Shukla

In-app purchases

None

Discreet Notes

No in-app purchases

None

Recall

No in-app purchases

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 no in-app purchases.
Do Discreet Notes or Recall have ads?
Neither Discreet Notes nor Recall shows ads.

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