# Secret Notes vs ScribblePad

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ScribblePad at none against Secret Notes's 1. ScribblePad also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secret Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ScribblePad asks for nothing beyond the download.

Secret Notes ships an update every 3 days, ScribblePad every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secret Notes | ScribblePad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribblepad-notes-and-pdf/id6778096521/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 4 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andreas Grauf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878952443) | [Sagar Seth](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778096523) |

## What reviewers say

### Secret Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-notes-private-notepad/id6760174844)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Secret Notes Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


### ScribblePad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribblepad-notes-and-pdf/id6778096521)

A private, free note-taking and PDF annotation app for Apple devices. It offers natural handwriting, organization tools, and optional cloud backup to your own storage. Enjoy a distraction-free experience with no accounts or tracking.

**Highlights:** Natural handwriting with Apple Pencil, PDF annotation and markup, Organize notes with subjects and notebooks, On-device handwriting search (OCR), Audio recording synced to notes, Optional Google Drive/iCloud backup, Offline functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secret Notes free?

Secret Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ScribblePad free?

ScribblePad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Secret Notes or ScribblePad have ads?

Neither Secret Notes nor ScribblePad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Secret Notes or ScribblePad?

Secret Notes ships an update every 3 days, and ScribblePad every 4 days. Most recently, Secret Notes was updated on September 10, 2026 and ScribblePad on September 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*