Comparison

Private Notes (Nostr) vs Flow Pad

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

Head to head
About

Private Notes (Nostr)

Features
Read full description

Private Notes is an encrypted password manager and secure notes app built on the Nostr protocol — a private alternative to cloud-based managers like 1Password or Bitwarden. Every password, login, and note is encrypted on your device before it ever leaves — no company, no server, no cloud provider can read it. Only you, with your nsec (and optionally a PIN), hold the key. Your password vault: Store logins — username, password, website, and notes — right where you need them. Generate strong passwords two ways: memorable "by words" phrases or fully random characters, with strength shown as you type. Copy any field in one tap, and keep everything organized with folders and labels. Your notes, still yours: Markdown notes, folders, and labels live in the same encrypted vault as your logins. Recovery codes, travel plans, reading lists — anything you'd trust to a notes app, without trusting a company with the plaintext. Built on real cryptography, not a promise: Your identity is a cryptographic key pair (nsec/npub), not an email and password. Everything is encrypted and signed locally before it's published. A PIN adds a second layer of encryption on top of your keychain-protected key — even someone with your nsec can't read your vault without it. The PIN is never written to disk. There's no "forgot password" flow, because there's no password to reset — and no backdoor. Back up your nsec somewhere safe; without it, nothing can be recovered. Sync without a company in the middle: Private Notes syncs through Nostr relays — servers that store your encrypted vault — and you choose which ones to use. Pick public relays, run your own, or use several at once for redundancy: if one goes offline, your vault is still there on the others. No single company holds your data or controls your access. Available now on iOS and macOS. Private Notes is built for: Anyone switching from a cloud password manager who wants a vault that's properly end-to-end encrypted Privacy-conscious users who want full control over their passwords and notes Nostr enthusiasts who want one secure identity across Nostr apps Anyone tired of apps that mine or sell their data Download Private Notes today — your passwords and notes: encrypted, decentralized, and always yours.

About

Flow Pad

Record voice notes or write text notes, with on-device transcription, AI-powered summaries, and a chat feature to ask questions about your content. All processing happens locally for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • On-device voice recording and transcription
  • AI-powered note summarization
  • Chat to ask questions about notes
  • Create written notes with rich text
  • Organize and search notes
  • Privacy-focused, no data sent off-device
Features
Read full description

Flow Pad is a private notes app for iPhone and iPad. Record by voice or write notes, then get on-device transcription, summaries, and a chat to ask questions about any note, no account, no data sent off your device. RECORD • Full-screen recorder with live waveform • Pause and resume; tap Done to save as a note in your Notes list • On-device speech-to-text (Apple Speech); transcript appears in the note SUMMARIZE • On-device summarization (Apple Foundation Models when available, or built-in extractive summary) • Each note gets a summary, key highlights (bullets), and action items with checkboxes • Tap “Generate summary” in the note if it wasn’t created yet ASK ABOUT THIS NOTE • “Ask about this note” at the top of each note opens a chat • Ask anything about that note; answers use only its summary, transcript, and content—on device • Input bar stays just above the keyboard so you can type and send easily WRITE NOTES • Create written notes (title + body) from the Notes screen (+ menu: Record or Write Note) • Add headings, bullet lists, and photos from your library • Same summarization and “Ask about this note” as voice notes ORGANIZE & FIND • Notes list with “Search notes”; grouped by Today, Yesterday, and date • Pin notes to the top; full-text search across titles, summaries, and transcripts • Swipe or context menu to delete; Pin, Copy, Share from the list or the note’s ⋯ menu NOTE DETAIL • Editable title; audio playback with waveform and progress • Summary, key highlights, action items (tap to mark done), transcript, written content • One-tap copy (summary, transcript, or all) and share PRIVACY • Recording, transcription, summarization, and Q&A all happen on your device • No account or sign-in; microphone for recording, Speech Recognition for transcription, Photo Library, only if you add photos Flow Pad: voice and written notes, on-device AI, and ask anything about your notes—without sending your data elsewhere.

Screenshots

Private Notes (Nostr)4 screens
Flow Pad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Flow Pad at none against Private Notes (Nostr)'s shown. Private Notes (Nostr)'s advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private Notes (Nostr) ships an update fortnightly, Flow Pad every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Private Notes (Nostr) versus Flow Pad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate Notes (Nostr)Flow Pad
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB2 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developeralexey popkovShryas Bhurat

In-app purchases

None

Private Notes (Nostr)

No in-app purchases

None

Flow Pad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Private Notes (Nostr) free?
Private Notes (Nostr) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Flow Pad free?
Flow Pad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Private Notes (Nostr) or Flow Pad have ads?
Private Notes (Nostr) shows ads; Flow Pad does not.
Which is updated more often, Private Notes (Nostr) or Flow Pad?
Private Notes (Nostr) ships an update fortnightly, and Flow Pad every 3 weeks. Most recently, Private Notes (Nostr) was updated on October 17, 2026 and Flow Pad on October 12, 2026.

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