Comparison

Private Notes (Nostr) vs Volocal

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

Volocal

Features
Read full description

Talk to an AI assistant that runs entirely on your iPhone. No cloud servers, no API keys, no subscriptions -- just real-time voice conversations powered by on-device intelligence. FULLY PRIVATE, FULLY LOCAL Every word you say stays on your device. Volocal runs three specialized AI models directly on your iPhone's hardware -- nothing is ever sent to the internet. After downloading the models on first launch, you never need a network connection again. REAL-TIME VOICE CONVERSATIONS Speak naturally and hear responses streamed back in real-time. Volocal uses a three-stage pipeline -- Speech-to-Text, Language Model, and Text-to-Speech -- all running simultaneously on different chips inside your phone for smooth, low-latency conversations. INTERRUPT ANYTIME Change your mind mid-sentence? Just start talking. Volocal supports barge-in with hardware echo cancellation, so the microphone stays active even while the assistant is speaking. No need to wait for it to finish. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS, NO API KEYS Volocal is completely free and open source. There are no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, and no hidden costs. Download the models once (~2.3 GB, Wi-Fi recommended) and you're set. HOW IT WORKS Volocal splits the workload across your iPhone's specialized processors: - Speech recognition (Parakeet EOU) runs on the Neural Engine - Language model (Qwen3.5-2B) runs on the GPU via Metal - Text-to-speech (PocketTTS) runs on the Neural Engine This separation means all three models can run at the same time without competing for resources, keeping conversations fluid and responsive. LIGHTWEIGHT Total runtime memory usage is approximately 1.2 GB, well within the limits of modern iPhones. REQUIREMENTS - iOS 17 or later - Physical device only (Neural Engine is not available in the Simulator) - ~2.3 GB of storage for model downloads on first launch Volocal is MIT licensed and open source. Built by Fikri Karim.

Screenshots

Private Notes (Nostr)4 screens
Volocal2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Volocal at none against Private Notes (Nostr)'s shown. Private Notes (Nostr)'s advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price 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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
Private Notes (Nostr) versus Volocal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate Notes (Nostr)Volocal
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.0 (3 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB13 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developeralexey popkovFikri Karim

In-app purchases

None

Private Notes (Nostr)

No in-app purchases

None

Volocal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Private Notes (Nostr) free?
Private Notes (Nostr) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Volocal free?
Volocal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Private Notes (Nostr) or Volocal have ads?
Private Notes (Nostr) shows ads; Volocal does not.

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