Comparison

NembaNotes vs Shell Notes

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Shell Notes

Features
Read full description

Encrypted notes that never leave your device. No cloud, no account, no tracking. Shell Notes is a private, offline notes app with one sharp focus: keep your writing local, encrypted, and yours alone — in a fast markdown and code editor with a calm, dark, developer-flavored theme. · Real AES-256-GCM encryption (audited open-source crypto: @noble/ciphers, @noble/hashes), keyed off your passphrase via PBKDF2-SHA256. · A master passphrase only you know. No recovery, by design — there is no backdoor and no copy of your data. · App-lock with optional Face ID. · Plain text, Markdown,JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, JSON, Shell, HTTP and CSS syntax highlighting. · Folders, starring, pinning, full-text search. · Eleven monospace typefaces — JetBrains Mono, Fira Code, IBM Plex Mono, Source Code Pro, Ubuntu Mono, Inconsolata, Anonymous Pro, Space Mono, Roboto Mono, VT323, and a default UI font. · A subtle scanline overlay you can switch off. · No analytics. No advertising. No sign-up, no email, no phone number. · No cloud sync, no remote model calls, no leakage. Your notes, folders and search index stay on this device. Export your vault to JSON through the iOS share sheet whenever you choose — nothing leaves otherwise. Shell Notes protects your notes at rest, on this device, with strong encryption. If you forget your passphrase, your locked notes are gone — there is no recovery. If your unlocked iPhone is in someone else's hands, the app is only as safe as your iOS lock screen and the auto-lock setting you choose inside Shell Notes. For developers, journalists, and anyone who closes an app the moment it asks for an email address. Quiet, local, yours. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shellnotes.surge.sh/privacy

Screenshots

NembaNotes4 screens
Shell Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NembaNotes at none against Shell Notes's 3. NembaNotes also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks). Shell Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shell Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. NembaNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NembaNotes ships an update every 9 days, Shell Notes every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
NembaNotes versus Shell Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNembaNotesShell Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNembala LLCIvan Dotsenko

In-app purchases

None

NembaNotes

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Shell Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Shell Notes Pro Weekly7 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Shell Notes Pro Yearly$12.991 Year
One-time1
  • Shell Notes Pro Lifetime$17.99

Questions

Is NembaNotes free?
NembaNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shell Notes free?
Shell Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NembaNotes or Shell Notes have ads?
NembaNotes shows ads; Shell Notes does not.
Which is updated more often, NembaNotes or Shell Notes?
NembaNotes ships an update every 9 days, and Shell Notes every 5 weeks. Most recently, NembaNotes was updated on September 30, 2026 and Shell Notes on September 21, 2026.

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