Comparison

Notebook vs Private Notes.

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

Head to head
About

Notebook

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
Read full description

Record your days like turning the pages of a book. A simple, elegant note-taking and diary app designed to make journaling feel natural. Over 2 million downloads worldwide. Average rating 4.7 from over 21,000 reviews. Notebook is a simple and elegant note-taking and diary app that lets you flip through your digital journal like a real book. Each day’s notes are automatically organized on one page, ready to revisit anytime with a smooth page-turning effect. ■ Your day on one page Keep your daily notes and thoughts neatly organized. You can easily look back on yesterday, last week, or even last month. Swipe or tap to turn the page and rediscover your memories like reading a personal journal. ■ Simple and ready to use Tap the Compose button to write a new note. Change dates by tapping the date field, or adjust the font size with one tap. Copy or print your entries directly — everything is intuitive, no manual required. ■ iCloud sync and backup support Keep your data secure with iCloud synchronization and backup. Access your notes across multiple devices, and restore them easily when you get a new iPhone. No complicated setup needed. ■ Private and secure Protect your personal diary with a passcode lock (Face ID / Touch ID supported). Deleted notes can be recovered within 30 days from “Recently Deleted” in settings. ■ Premium for a distraction-free experience All basic features are free. Upgrade once to Premium (one-time purchase) to remove ads and enjoy a calm, focused writing experience. Your purchase can be restored anytime, even after changing devices. Features • Page-turning effect for a realistic book-like feel • One page per day for simple organization and review • iCloud sync and backup support • Passcode lock (Face ID / Touch ID) for privacy • Dark mode, search, and font adjustment • Ad-free with Premium (one-time purchase) • Restore deleted notes within 30 days • Copy, print, or share all notes at once Capture your everyday moments, one page at a time — in your own private notebook.

About

Private Notes.

Securely store your personal thoughts, ideas, and text with a passcode or biometric authentication. This app offers intuitive text editing tools and a straightforward interface for organizing timestamped notes.

Highlights
  • Biometric and passcode security
  • Intuitive copy/paste/cut
  • Text formatting (underline, bold, italic)
  • Timestamped notes
  • Straightforward user interface
Features
Read full description

Have personal notes you would like to keep secret? Look no further. With this app you can safely secure personal thoughts, ideas or any text with with Apple’s touch/Face ID or a passcode. FEATURES: -Intuitive copy/paste/cut functions are at your disposal. -Underline, embolden or change any word in italic. -Straight forward user interface allows you to quickly organize your timestamped notes.

Screenshots

Notebook4 screens
Private Notes.3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Notebook at 73% against Private Notes.'s 14%. Notebook also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). Private Notes.'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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. Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Private Notes. asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notebook ships an update every 9 days, Private Notes. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Notebook versus Private Notes.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotebookPrivate Notes.
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.7% of reviews — better14.3% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKoji ItoWALABOK LLC

Customer experience

Notebook

All ratings14,310 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews271 reviews
Positive72.7%
Neutral12.2%
Negative15.1%

Private Notes.

Written reviews7 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative85.7%

Bugs and requests

Notebook

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Private Notes.

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Notebook

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$6.99
None

Private Notes.

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Notebook free?
Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Private Notes. free?
Private Notes. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Notebook or Private Notes. have ads?
Both Notebook and Private Notes. show ads.
Which is updated more often, Notebook or Private Notes.?
Notebook ships an update every 9 days, and Private Notes. every 2 months. Most recently, Notebook was updated on September 24, 2026 and Private Notes. on August 22, 2026.

Other comparisons