Abox Note · Markdown Notes vs Secret Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Abox Note · Markdown Notes
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Abox Note is a lightweight Markdown note app with note organization, web previews, PDF export, long screenshots, and site publishing. Capture ideas anytime, organize them with spaces and nested tags, then export or share your notes—or publish them as a blog or documentation site. [Plain-text Markdown] Write Markdown in a plain-text editor with line numbers. Notes are stored as plain text for easy migration and long-term access. Capture fragments first, then rearrange and combine them later. [Simple organization] • Single-level spaces for broad categories • Nested tags for detailed organization (work/project, reading/design/ideas) No deep folder hierarchies, so there is less to manage. [Optimized for mobile] Improved cursor movement and text selection make it easier to capture, add, or edit content on your phone. [Preview, export, and share] • Web-style previews • PDF export with heading bookmarks and layout settings • Full-page and long screenshots • Online sharing through Youlog [Publish as a site] Publish an entire space as a blog or documentation site. • Preview before you go live • Export site files • Deploy directly • Choose themes and advanced settings [Text Actions] Create reusable text-processing tools: • Format text • Batch process content • Support your personal workflow • Integrate AI [More features] • Auto save • Restore last editing position • Quickly switch between recent notes • Find and replace (including regex) • Import and export (including ZIP) • Restore notes from Trash
Secret Notes
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Secret Notes is the private notepad for everything that’s nobody else’s business: thoughts, lists, plans, recordings. No account, no tracking, no ads — your notes stay on your device, encrypted and behind PIN or Face ID. PRIVACY FIRST • App lock with PIN or Face ID, auto-locking after a timeout you choose • Note contents are stored encrypted on your device (AES-256) • Lock individual notes — content only shows after re-authenticating • No account required, no data collection, no ads SEVEN NOTE TYPES • Text with formatting (bold, italic, colors) and [[links]] between notes • Checklists with sub-items and smart auto-checking • Spreadsheets, Markdown, audio and video notes, tally counters ORGANIZE & FIND • Categories, nested folders, colors, pinning, ratings • Search and filters, custom sort by drag & drop • Reminders — including recurring — with an overview screen • “At a Glance” home screen, archive, and trash with auto-cleanup • Templates for recurring notes BACK UP & SYNC • Encrypted backups, portable between devices • Cloud backup and multi-device sync via your own server (Nextcloud/WebDAV) — your data lives only where you decide • Direct device-to-device transfer on your local network EVERYDAY EXTRAS • Widgets: quick add and recently edited notes • Share sheet: save text, links, images and files from other apps • Read notes aloud • Fully localized in English and German FREE & PRO Text, checklist and tally notes, app lock, note lock, categories, reminders and widgets are free. Secret Notes Pro (one-time purchase, no subscription) unlocks spreadsheets, Markdown, audio/video, folders, attachments, note history, PDF export, backups and device sync.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Abox Note · Markdown Notes at none against Secret Notes's 1. Abox Note · Markdown Notes also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.2). Secret Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price and device support 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. Secret Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Abox Note · Markdown Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.
Abox Note · Markdown Notes ships an update fortnightly, Secret Notes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Abox Note · Markdown Notes | Secret Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 210 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Guangwei Yu | Andreas Grauf |
In-app purchases
Abox Note · Markdown Notes
No in-app purchases
Secret Notes
- Secret Notes Pro$2.99





