NembaNotes vs Scrib
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NembaNotes
A private and powerful note-taking app focused on simplicity and user data ownership. It offers rich text editing, effortless organization, and local data transfer without requiring an account or cloud storage.
- Privacy-focused, no accounts or cloud sync
- Rich text formatting with lists, tables, and images
- Organize notes with labels and background colors
- Instant search and quick sorting
- Local data transfer and backups
- Recycle bin for deleted notes
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NembaNotes is a private, powerful note-taking app designed for people who value simplicity, flexibility, and full ownership of their data. Everything you write stays on your device unless you choose to export or transfer it. No account needed, no automatic syncing, and no cloud storage. Whether you're jotting down quick ideas, managing task lists, or writing detailed documents, NembaNotes gives you the tools you need and gets out of your way. Key Features: ■ Privacy First • No accounts, tracking, or background syncing • Notes are saved securely on your device ■ Rich Text Editing • Format text with bold, italic, underline, strikethrough. • Add bullet lists, numbered lists, and checklists. • Adjust text alignment and direction (LTR/RTL). • Insert links, images, and editable tables. • Undo/redo, zoom controls, and find-in-note support. ■ Organize Effortlessly • Add multiple labels to each note. • Filter notes by label. • Choose a background color for visual grouping. • Instant search across titles and summaries. ■ Make It Yours • Light and Dark modes, or follow system theme. • Choose app language (RTL languages supported). • Customize your workflow, layout, and appearance. ■ Find and Sort Quickly • Instant search on note titles and summaries. • Sort notes by last updated or creation date. ■ Local Transfer and Backups • Export or import notes via CSV. • Transfer notes securely between devices on the same Wi-Fi network. • Optional passphrase, encryption, and compression during transfers. ■ Recycle Bin • Notes are soft-deleted into the Recycle Bin. • Restore or permanently delete notes later. • Use multi-select to act on several notes at once. No account. No ads in your notes. No cloud. Just your words, your way. ► Download NembaNotes and take back control of your notes today.
Scrib
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Scrib keeps your notes on your iPhone. There is no account to create, no server to sync with, and no analytics or advertising code in the app. Every note is stored in an encrypted database inside the app's private container, with the key held in the iOS Keychain. WHAT SCRIB DOES • Notes. Write in plain text. Markdown is fine if you use it, and ignored if you don't. • Folders. Group notes into folders, filter the home screen by folder, and search folder names. Folders can be switched off in Settings without deleting anything. • Checklists. Turn any line into a checklist item. Items and plain text can sit in the same note. Tap an item to check it off. • Tap to edit. Tap anywhere in a note and the cursor lands where you tapped. • Colors. 44 note colors, plus 14 text colors that can apply to the title and body or the body only. • Find in note. Search inside a long note; matches are highlighted. • Search. Plain-text search across all notes, on the device. • Import. Bring in .txt and Markdown files, or exports from Google Keep, Simplenote and Evernote (.enex). Checklists in those exports arrive as live checklists. Files are read through the iOS file picker and parsed on the device. • Trash. Deleted notes go to a trash bin and are removed for good after 30 days. Restore any of them before then. • PIN lock. An optional 4 to 6 digit PIN protects the app. Attempts are rate limited. • Vault. A separate, PIN-protected space for notes you want kept apart from the main list. • Share Scrib. One tap in Settings hands a short line and the App Store link to the share sheet. • Languages. English, Arabic, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil) and Simplified Chinese. HOW YOUR DATA IS PROTECTED • Encryption at rest. Every note is written to an AES-256 encrypted database. The key is generated on the device and stored in the iOS Keychain. • Safe upgrades. When the storage format changes, the migration completes fully or not at all, so an interrupted upgrade cannot leave notes half converted. • Key loss detection. If encrypted notes are found without their key, Scrib shows a recovery screen instead of quietly creating a new key. • Save on switch. Pending edits are written to disk the moment you switch apps. WHAT SCRIB DOES NOT DO • It does not make network requests. • It does not ask you to create an account. • It does not sync your notes anywhere. • It does not collect analytics or crash reports. • It does not show ads. • It does not charge for the features listed above. Scrib is built and maintained by one developer, Patrick Colton, also known as Beeswax Pat, a U.S. Army veteran. Questions and requests: beeswaxpat@gmail.com Privacy policy: https://scrib.blog/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Scrib at none against NembaNotes's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | NembaNotes | Scrib |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | — |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nembala LLC | Patrick Colton |
In-app purchases
NembaNotes
No in-app purchases
Scrib
No in-app purchases









