# Notebook vs Secure Notes

The clearest difference is ads: Secure Notes at none against Notebook's shown. Notebook's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 716) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Secure Notes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Notebook against 4.6 for Secure Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 14K ratings behind it against 716, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 65% of Secure Notes's.

Notebook ships an update weekly, Secure Notes fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | Secure Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-diary-and-journal-app/id654645301/reviews)** | [4.6 (716 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-notes-secret-and-lock/id1469517353/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 716 |
| Positive reviews | **72.5% of reviews** | 64.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Koji Ito](https://appshunter.io/developer/334329056) | [PixelPort LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1355467938) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-diary-and-journal-app/id654645301)

This app offers a natural journaling experience by organizing daily notes on a single page, allowing you to flip through your entries like a physical book. It prioritizes simplicity, security with passcode locks, and seamless iCloud synchronization for easy access across devices.

**Highlights:** Realistic page-turning effect, One page per day organization, iCloud sync and backup, Passcode lock with Face ID/Touch ID, Dark mode and font adjustment, Ad-free Premium option

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Password protection
- 💡 Convenient for journaling and note-taking
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 👍 Organized by date

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🚫 Unable to insert photos or attachments
- 🚫 Limited formatting options
- 🚫 No cloud sync or backup
- 🚫 Not compatible with iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Deleting entries causes the app to crash
- Long entries can cause the app to become unresponsive
- Password feature doesn't always work as expected

**Requested features**

- Add ability to insert photos and attachments
- Implement cloud sync and backup
- Allow more formatting options (font, size, color, bold, italic, etc.)
- Develop an iPad version with optimized layout
- Add a search function to easily find past entries


### Secure Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-notes-secret-and-lock/id1469517353)

Securely store your thoughts, passwords, and sensitive information with multi-layer protection. This app offers robust security features like Face ID and passcode locks for individual notes, folders, and the entire application. It also provides tools for writing, recording voice memos, and organizing content with iCloud sync.

**Highlights:** 3-layer security (app, folders, notes), Face ID, Touch ID, passcode protection, Voice notes up to 10 minutes, Speech-to-text transcription, Markdown editor with live preview, iCloud sync across devices, Trash recovery for 30 days

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Secure Notes - 1 Month PRO | $4.99 | per month |
| Secure Notes - Pro Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Secure Notes Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Secure Notes Pro Annual Offer | $19.99 | per year |
| Secure Notes - 1 Year PRO | $39.99 | per year |
| Secure Notes - 1 Year PRO | $39.99 | per year |
| Secure Notes Pro - Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Secure notes and folders
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Efficient note-taking
- 💡 Innovative features like Love Voice Notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy performance after updates
- 🤯 Overly complicated UI changes
- 🔒 Difficulty resetting passwords/access
- 💸 Essential features locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Delayed text input and display
- Inability to access locked notes

**Requested features**

- Ability to move notes between folders
- Option to customize font, size, and colors
- Trash/Recycle bin for deleted notes
- Cloud sync/backup functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebook free?

Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Secure Notes free?

Secure Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Notebook or Secure Notes?

Notebook is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Secure Notes averages 4.6 from 716 ratings.

### Do Notebook or Secure Notes have ads?

Notebook shows ads; Secure Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notebook or Secure Notes?

Notebook ships an update weekly, and Secure Notes fortnightly. Most recently, Notebook was updated on November 3, 2026 and Secure Notes on November 3, 2026.

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