Comparison

Notebook vs Snug

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

Keep daily notes and diary entries together on one page. Turn pages like a book and revisit your past entries. Search, iCloud sync, and a passcode lock help you organize and access your notes. Core features are free; ad removal is a one-time purchase. ■ Your day on one page See the notes and diary entries you write each day together on one page. Swipe or tap to turn pages and look back on everyday moments and memories. ■ Find past entries Use the contents list or search to find a note you want to revisit. Change a note's date to record plans or past events. ■ Make reading and writing comfortable Adjust the text size or use Dark Mode. Copy, print, or share your notes. ■ Protect access with a passcode Lock access to your diary with a passcode. Face ID / Touch ID is available on supported devices. ■ Sync between devices with iCloud With iCloud sync enabled, notes synchronize automatically between devices using the same Apple Account. iCloud sync is enabled by default for new installations. iCloud Drive and Notebook's iCloud access must be enabled, with available storage and a network connection. Synchronization may take time. iCloud sync and device backups are separate features. Check your sync status and backups before changing devices. ■ Recover deleted notes Recover notes within 30 days of deletion from Recently Deleted in Settings. ■ Remove ads with a one-time purchase Core features are free. Premium removes ads with a one-time purchase, not a subscription. After changing devices, use Restore Purchases with the Apple Account used for your purchase. Over 2 million downloads worldwide. Rated 4.7 out of 5 from over 21,000 ratings across all countries and regions (October 2026). Capture your everyday moments, one page at a time.

About

Snug

Features
Read full description

Snug is a warm, private room for your mind. A place to write what you'd never say out loud — thoughts, worries, plans, the raw first draft of an idea. No one reads this. Not even us. Snug is local-first: your notes live on your device, offline by default. Nothing leaves your phone unless you choose to turn on Sync — and when you do, everything is end-to-end encrypted, so only you can ever read it. WHY SNUG • Local-first & offline — your notes stay on your device and are always there, even with no connection. • End-to-end encrypted sync (optional) — turn it on to keep your notes safe across your devices. They're encrypted before they ever leave your phone; we can never read them. • A calm place to write — a beautiful, distraction-free editor with Markdown, rich text, images, and voice notes. • Lock it down — protect Snug with a PIN or Face ID. • Warm by design — soft, cozy, and quiet. Built for thinking, not for an audience. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Most apps want your data. Snug wants you to forget it's even connected. Your words are yours — kept on your device, encrypted if they ever travel, never sold, never mined, never read. Write freely. It's just you here. snugthink.com

Screenshots

Notebook4 screens
Snug4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Snug at none against Notebook's 1. Snug also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and update cadence 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. Snug asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notebook ships an update weekly, Snug every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Notebook versus Snug: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotebookSnug
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings14K — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKoji ItoDinDon Digital Labs LLC

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

Snug

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Notebook

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$6.99
None

Snug

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Notebook free?
Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Snug free?
Snug is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Notebook or Snug have ads?
Notebook shows ads; Snug does not.
Which is updated more often, Notebook or Snug?
Notebook ships an update weekly, and Snug every 4 days. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 18, 2026 and Snug on October 16, 2026.

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