# Notebook vs Secret Diary

The clearest difference is ads: Secret Diary at none against Notebook's shown. Secret Diary also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and device support (4 vs 1). Notebook's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 1). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Secret Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Secret Diary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 14K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 70% of Secret Diary's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Notebook ships an update weekly, Secret Diary every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | Secret Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-diary-and-journal-app/id654645301/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-password-notes/id6445909382/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **72.5% of reviews** | 70.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Koji Ito](https://appshunter.io/developer/334329056) | [伟 葛](https://appshunter.io/developer/1028908732) |

## 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


### Secret Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-password-notes/id6445909382)

Securely record your daily life and protect your privacy with this easy-to-use digital journal. Customize entries with beautiful fonts and quickly find past notes using content search. It offers password protection for exclusive access.

**Highlights:** Password protection, Secure diary entries, Customizable fonts, Content search, User-friendly interface, Privacy protection

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Premium | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebook free?

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

### Is Secret Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notebook or Secret Diary?

Secret Diary is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Secret Diary averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Notebook or Secret Diary have ads?

Notebook shows ads; Secret Diary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notebook or Secret Diary?

Notebook ships an update weekly, and Secret Diary every 3 months. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 20, 2026 and Secret Diary on October 7, 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.*