Notes vs Deckloud
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Notes
A privacy-focused note-taking app that offers secure, encrypted storage and synchronization via Nextcloud, iCloud, or WebDAV. Write notes offline and maintain full control over your data with this GDPR-compliant, open-source solution.
- Markdown and rich text editor
- End-to-end encryption (E2EE)
- Nextcloud, iCloud, and WebDAV sync
- Offline note-taking
- To-do lists and tasks
- GDPR and BDSG compliant
Read full descriptionHide full description
BrewMemo: The Ultimate PRIVACY-FOCUSED Markdown Suite – 100% Made in Germany Stop compromising on your digital sovereignty. With BrewMemo, you manage your notes simply, securely, and privately using the power of your own Nextcloud infrastructure. In an era of data harvesting, BrewMemo stands as a fortress for your ideas. You get full control over your notebook and your Markdown notes—always synced, reliably protected, and available on all your devices without ever touching a third-party server you don't trust. Whether you are a creative professional, a researcher, a student, or a privacy-conscious organization, BrewMemo is the professional choice for secure digital journaling and structured knowledge management. WHY BREWMEMO IS DIFFERENT TOTAL DATA SOVEREIGNTY: Unlike mainstream note apps that lock your data in proprietary silos, BrewMemo uses your own Nextcloud server as the backbone. Your Markdown notes remain your property, stored in your own environment. DEEP NEXTCLOUD INTEGRATION: We don't just "support" Nextcloud; we are built for it. Experience seamless background synchronization that feels invisible but works like a charm. No middleman, no metadata tracking, just your data on your server. GDPR COMPLIANCE BY DESIGN: Developed in Germany, BrewMemo adheres to the world’s strictest privacy regulations. It is the ideal solution for professionals handling sensitive business information, legal notes, or private medical data. ZERO VENDOR LOCK-IN: Your notes are stored as plain Markdown files. This means even if you stop using BrewMemo, your data remains readable by any text editor. We give you the keys to your own digital kingdom. A SUPERIOR WRITING & ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERIENCE BrewMemo isn't just a place to dump text; it’s a precision tool designed for deep work and organized thinking. PRO-GRADE MARKDOWN EDITOR: Enjoy a distraction-free environment with a powerful Markdown engine. Render tables, lists, and headers perfectly while maintaining a clean, aesthetic interface. SMART ORGANIZATION SYSTEM: Moving beyond simple folders—use our advanced Pin & Tag system to create a multi-dimensional organization. Categorize your projects, thoughts, and tasks so they are always exactly where you need them. CUSTOMIZABLE ECOSYSTEM: Your notebook should reflect your style. Choose from a variety of professionally designed themes, including an optimized High-Contrast Dark Mode for late-night focus sessions. OFFLINE-FIRST ARCHITECTURE: Don't let a poor connection stop your creativity. Write, edit, and organize while offline in a plane or a remote cabin. BrewMemo intelligently merges your changes to your Nextcloud or iCloud as soon as you reconnect. YOUR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (PKM) POWERHOUSE BrewMemo is more than just a notes app—it is the hub for your "Second Brain." By combining the simplicity of Markdown with the security of private synchronization, it supports modern methodologies like Zettelkasten or GTD (Getting Things Done). KEY FEATURES AT A GLANCE Markdown Perfection: Maximum clarity with standard-compliant formatting. Native Nextcloud Sync: Secure, private, and lightning-fast server communication. iCloud Support: Alternative sync options for those deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem. Advanced Export Options: Convert your notes to TXT or share them directly with other apps. Universal Compatibility: Works seamlessly across your mobile devices and tablets. Multi-Account Support: Easily manage personal and professional notebooks in one interface. JOIN THE PRIVACY REVOLUTION Don't let your ideas become someone else's training data. Join thousands of users who have switched to a more ethical, secure, and professional way of writing. Your thoughts. Your Markdown. Your Nextcloud. Your BrewMemo.
Deckloud
Manage your Nextcloud Deck boards directly from your iPhone. Create, organize, and update tasks with robust offline support and private data handling. Offers Pro features for enhanced productivity.
- Create and organize boards, stacks, and cards
- Set due dates, labels, assignees, and reminders
- Add comments, Markdown descriptions, and attachments
- Search boards and cards with advanced filters
- Reliable sync with offline resilience
- Private by design with local credential storage
Read full descriptionHide full description
Your Nextcloud Deck boards as a native iPhone and iPad app. See what is due today, drag cards between sections, and keep working offline. Changes sync as soon as you are back online. The core app is free. No Nextcloud server yet? Start a free Deckloud Cloud workspace in seconds. Two ways to start • Your own server: sign in with Nextcloud Login Flow v2 and open the boards you already have. The app connects directly to your server, with no relay backend in between. • Deckloud Cloud: tap Create a free workspace. No email, no password, and no registration form. Deckloud runs the Nextcloud server for you, and you can link up to three devices. Plan your day • Today: due, overdue, and assigned cards, plus mentions, in one list with a month calendar • A Gantt timeline where you move or resize dated cards • Search across boards with filters for labels, assignees, and due dates Work on your boards • Create and organize boards, sections, and cards • Start a board from a template, or build your own • Set due dates, labels, assignees, and a reminder • Write Markdown descriptions with a formatting bar for checklists, headings, and bold • Add comments and attachments, or link files from Nextcloud Files • Share boards with people, groups, and Teams, and choose who can edit • Import and export Deck JSON, or export a board as CSV Made for iPhone and iPad iPad layouts with a sidebar support portrait, landscape, and resizable multitasking. Send links and text from other apps with the share extension. Offline changes wait in a queue you can check in Settings. The app is available in more than 70 languages. Private by design Credentials stay in the iOS Keychain. No ad SDKs. Usage analytics create no person profiles and can be turned off in Settings. On your own server, board and card content stays on your Nextcloud. Deckloud Cloud content is stored on Nextcloud servers managed by Deckloud, with TLS and encrypted backups, but it is not end-to-end encrypted. You can delete a Cloud account and its content from Settings. Free and Pro Free: boards, cards, Today, Search, the Gantt timeline, templates, import and export, the small widget, one active reminder, one repeating card, and two accounts. Each month, every device also gets 10 Quick Captures, where one Smart Capture of up to 5 cards counts as one, and 3 Focus sessions. Deckloud Pro comes as a one-time purchase, or as a yearly or monthly subscription: • Unlimited Quick Capture, also from the share extension and Shortcuts, with saved templates and context • Reminders on up to 64 cards per account, including Apple Reminders and Apple Alarms (iOS 26+) • Repeating cards, synced through your Nextcloud • Unlimited Smart Capture, up to 20 cards at a time • The full Team view and the team's weekly report • Unlimited Focus sessions of 10, 25, or 45 minutes, with a Live Activity • Medium, large, Extra Large, and Lock Screen widgets, with a board picker • More than two accounts, and Pro in the Deckloud desktop app with a code Deckloud Cloud is a separate free plan and does not include Pro. If your organization has a Deckloud license for its Nextcloud, Pro turns on for the members it covers. Requirements • For your own server: Nextcloud with the Deck app. Deck 1.6 or later is required for full write support. • Deckloud actively verifies maintained Nextcloud releases with their matching Deck release, currently Nextcloud 33 to 35. • Nextcloud 23–32 is legacy best effort; a new Nextcloud major remains preview until verified. • Widgets need iOS 17 or later. Also available for Mac (Apple Silicon), Windows, and Linux at deckloud.com. Deckloud is an independent client and is not affiliated with Nextcloud GmbH. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Notes at 5.0 against Deckloud's 4.4. Deckloud's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Deckloud sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Notes's written reviews are positive against 80% of Deckloud's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, Deckloud every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Notes | Deckloud |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.4 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brewcode GmbH | Hoang Pham |
Customer experience
Notes
Deckloud
In-app purchases
Notes
- Monthly Access7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Yearly Access7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Full Access – Lifetime$89.99
Deckloud
- Deckloud Pro – Monthly$9.001 Month
- Deckloud Pro – Yearly$29.001 Year
- Deckloud Pro – One-Time Unlock$39.00
Questions
Is Notes free?
Is Deckloud free?
Which has better reviews, Notes or Deckloud?
Do Notes or Deckloud have ads?
Which is updated more often, Notes or Deckloud?
Other comparisons















