Comparison

Private Notes vs CalibratedNotes

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

Head to head
About

Private Notes

Features
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LockNotes is a privacy-focused iOS app that lets you store personal notes securely on your device with built-in lock protection. Your data stays local, works offline, and is never uploaded to the cloud. Designed for speed, simplicity, and security, LockNotes gives you full control over your private information.

About

CalibratedNotes

Features
Read full description

CalibratedNotes Capture ideas, solve problems, and organize everything in one powerful digital notebook. CalibratedNotes combines the freedom of handwriting with intuitive organization to help you take better notes. Whether you're recording lecture notes, solving mathematical equations, sketching engineering concepts, or planning projects, CalibratedNotes provides a clean, distraction-free workspace designed to keep you focused. Create notebooks for school, work, or personal use, customize your pages, and keep everything organized exactly the way you want. Write Naturally Enjoy a responsive handwriting experience with adjustable pen sizes, multiple ink colors, a highlighter, and an eraser. Every tool is designed to make writing feel comfortable, whether you're taking quick notes or filling pages with detailed calculations and sketches. Stay Organized Create unlimited notebooks, organize them into folders, customize notebook colors, and quickly switch between subjects or projects. As your collection grows, finding your notes remains simple and efficient. Custom Page Templates Choose the page layout that fits your work. Select from blank, lined, dotted, graph, and grid paper for everything from lecture notes to engineering drawings, mathematical calculations, bullet journals, and project planning. Handwriting & Text Combine handwritten notes with movable text boxes to create organized, professional-looking pages. Easily add mathematical and scientific symbols whenever you need them. Draw and Sketch Create engineering diagrams, graphs, charts, flowcharts, geometric figures, scientific illustrations, and technical sketches directly within your notebooks. Keep drawings and written notes together for a more organized workflow. Built for STEM CalibratedNotes makes it easy to organize engineering calculations, mathematical equations, scientific notes, laboratory observations, and technical diagrams in one place. Perfect for documenting complex ideas while keeping everything neat and easy to review. Flexible Pages Add, duplicate, and delete pages whenever you need. Whether you're writing a single page or an entire semester's worth of notes, your notebooks grow with your ideas. Customize Your Workspace Personalize notebook colors, organize folders your way, and choose page templates that match your workflow. CalibratedNotes adapts to your style instead of forcing you into a fixed layout. Features Writing Smooth handwriting Adjustable pen sizes Multiple pen colors Highlighter tool Eraser tool Organization Unlimited notebooks Unlimited pages Folder organization Custom notebook colors Fast notebook navigation Page Templates Blank paper Lined paper Dotted paper Graph paper Grid paper Productivity Movable text boxes Mathematical symbols Scientific symbols Duplicate pages Delete pages Drawing Engineering diagrams Graphs and charts Flowcharts Technical sketches Scientific illustrations Geometric drawings Whether you're taking notes in class, solving equations, sketching ideas, planning projects, or organizing your daily tasks, CalibratedNotes provides a flexible workspace designed to help you write naturally and keep everything in one place. Download CalibratedNotes today and experience a smarter way to write, organize, and create. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Private Notes4 screens
CalibratedNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Private Notes at none against CalibratedNotes's 1. CalibratedNotes's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. CalibratedNotes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Private Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private Notes ships an update fortnightly, CalibratedNotes every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Private Notes versus CalibratedNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate NotesCalibratedNotes
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS18.615.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size2 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTalal AslamAIDEN JASON SEXTON

In-app purchases

None

Private Notes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

CalibratedNotes

Subscriptions1
  • CalibratedNotes Premium7 Days trial$2.991 Month

Questions

Is Private Notes free?
Private Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CalibratedNotes free?
CalibratedNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Private Notes or CalibratedNotes have ads?
Neither Private Notes nor CalibratedNotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Private Notes or CalibratedNotes?
Private Notes ships an update fortnightly, and CalibratedNotes every 2 days. Most recently, Private Notes was updated on November 9, 2026 and CalibratedNotes on November 5, 2026.

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