Comparison

Secret Notes vs Cool Notepad

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

Head to head
About

Secret Notes

Features
Read full description

Secret Notes is the private notepad for everything that’s nobody else’s business: thoughts, lists, plans, recordings. No account, no tracking, no ads β€” your notes stay on your device, encrypted and behind PIN or Face ID. PRIVACY FIRST β€’ App lock with PIN or Face ID, auto-locking after a timeout you choose β€’ Note contents are stored encrypted on your device (AES-256) β€’ Lock individual notes β€” content only shows after re-authenticating β€’ No account required, no data collection, no ads SEVEN NOTE TYPES β€’ Text with formatting (bold, italic, colors) and [[links]] between notes β€’ Checklists with sub-items and smart auto-checking β€’ Spreadsheets, Markdown, audio and video notes, tally counters ORGANIZE & FIND β€’ Categories, nested folders, colors, pinning, ratings β€’ Search and filters, custom sort by drag & drop β€’ Reminders β€” including recurring β€” with an overview screen β€’ β€œAt a Glance” home screen, archive, and trash with auto-cleanup β€’ Templates for recurring notes BACK UP & SYNC β€’ Encrypted backups, portable between devices β€’ Cloud backup and multi-device sync via your own server (Nextcloud/WebDAV) β€” your data lives only where you decide β€’ Direct device-to-device transfer on your local network EVERYDAY EXTRAS β€’ Widgets: quick add and recently edited notes β€’ Share sheet: save text, links, images and files from other apps β€’ Read notes aloud β€’ 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.

About

Cool Notepad

Features
Read full description

Cool Notepad is a calm, paper-inspired workspace for thinking, writing, and getting things done on iPhone and iPad. Capture quick ideas or build structured knowledge with a rich editor that stays out of your way. WRITE YOUR WAY β€’ Create rich notes with headings, lists, checklists, quotes, code, links, callouts, and collapsible sections. β€’ Use wiki links and backlinks to connect related ideas. β€’ Find anything with notebook search, tags, favorites, filters, and flexible list or grid views. STAY ORGANIZED β€’ Group notes into notebooks and keep different areas of work separated with Spaces. β€’ Plan projects with Kanban boards and task-focused views. β€’ Reuse note templates, review saved links, and revisit work through a timeline. MADE FOR iPHONE & iPAD β€’ Move naturally between Spaces, notebooks, note lists, and a distraction-light editor designed for touch. β€’ Use Scratchpad for freehand notes and Apple Pencil on iPad. β€’ Protect the app with Face ID or Touch ID and automatic locking on supported devices. YOUR DATA, YOUR CHOICE Cool Notepad is local-first. Core notes and notebooks work without creating an account. Export to Markdown or plain text anytime. COOL NOTEPAD PRO An optional auto-renewing monthly or yearly subscription unlocks advanced features such as version history, attachments, PDF, HTML and bulk export, recurring Kanban tasks, custom templates, multiple Spaces, and biometric lock. Whiteboards are created and edited on Mac; iPhone and iPad provide Scratchpad for drawing. Availability may vary by platform and configuration. Your notes remain yours. If Pro ends, existing data is not deleted. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/coolnotepad-privacy-policy/ No ads.

Screenshots

Secret Notes4 screens
Cool Notepad3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Cool Notepad at 17.0 against Secret Notes's 26.2. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Secret Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cool Notepad sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Secret Notes versus Cool Notepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSecret NotesCool Notepad
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.217.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size4 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndreas GraufMd. Saiful Islam Saif

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Secret Notes

One-time1
  • Secret Notes Pro$2.99
2 purchases

Cool Notepad

Subscriptions2
  • Cool Notepad Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Cool Notepad Pro Yearly$95.991 Year

Questions

Is Secret Notes free?
Secret Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cool Notepad free?
Cool Notepad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Secret Notes or Cool Notepad have ads?
Neither Secret Notes nor Cool Notepad shows ads.

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