Comparison

GridBar vs Secret Notes

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

Head to head
About

GridBar

Features
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Your Mac project board, ready when you leave your desk. GridBar for iPhone and iPad is the companion to your Mac workspace. Turn on iCloud Sync on each device and bring your first board across for free. Your project links, people and useful information stay close, so you can act on them right away. FROM BOARD TO ACTION Open a client portal. Call a contact. Copy a reference number from an info key. Start an email or run an Apple Shortcut. Each portable key puts a useful next step one tap away. BUILD HERE, CONTINUE ON MAC Create link, call, email and info keys on iPhone or iPad. With iCloud Sync enabled, eligible boards and keys stay in step with your Mac. The free plan syncs your first board; Pro brings additional boards and the Stash. KNOW WHAT TRAVELS Mac app launches, local file paths, window layouts and simulated keystrokes cannot run on iPhone or iPad. GridBar keeps those keys visible with a Mac badge. A Mac routine can run only its first supported step here. STASH FOR THE HANDOFF With Pro and iCloud Sync, move eligible text, links and images through the Stash across your devices. Unpinned items are temporary and are removed after 30 minutes. A sample board in the first-run guide shows how the companion works. You can then sync your Mac board or make a board on this device. Questions or feedback? support@balane.tech

About

Secret Notes

Features
Read full description

Trove is where your private thoughts live behind real encryption. Every note is locked with AES-256 — the same standard trusted by security professionals. Your password is never stored, never synced, never seen by anyone. It lives only in your head. Forget it, and not even we can open the note. That is the whole point. WHY TROVE • AES-256 encryption with 600,000-round key strengthening • Your password is never saved to disk, to iCloud, or to our servers • The note list and encrypted text stay visible without a password — decryption happens only in memory, only when you ask • No account, no sign-up, no tracking, no ads ONE ENCRYPTED LOCKBOX FOR EVERYTHING Bank details, passwords, a private journal, a secret diary, login codes, confidential ideas, a quick brain dump — keep your whole stash in one secure vault. FEATURES • Encrypted notes, private journal and secure diary in one app • Voice dictation — speak your notes, transcribed on-device (audio never leaves your iPhone) • Color tags to organize and archive your notes • Optional iCloud sync — your encrypted vault follows you across iPhones and survives reinstalls • Local-only mode if you prefer nothing ever leaves the device • Share an encrypted note with a friend over any channel — only someone with the password can open it • Search by title or date • Clean, fast, forced dark mode SHARING Send an encrypted note to anyone — over Messages, Mail, AirDrop, any channel. Share the password separately... Only the person who knows it can open the note, so it stays safe even if the channel is not... PRIVACY BY DESIGN Trove cannot read your notes. There is no backdoor, no recovery, no hint. Strong encryption means only you hold the key. We collect nothing about your content — what you write stays yours. DISCLAIMER Application cannot add photos, videos to notes by decision of developer. Trove is for text only — by design. Encrypted media is intentionally not supported to keep the app safe and simple PREMIUM Unlock unlimited notes, sharing, importing and more: • Weekly or Monthly plan • 3-day free trial for new subscribers • Cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your Apple ID account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID account settings after purchase. Your secrets deserve a real lock. Keep them in Trove. Privacy Policy: https://lukematpyt.github.io/securenotes-legal/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://lukematpyt.github.io/securenotes-legal/terms/ Support: https://lukematpyt.github.io/securenotes-legal/support/

Screenshots

GridBar2 screens
Secret Notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: GridBar at 18.0 against Secret Notes's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. GridBar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Secret Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GridBar ships an update every 3 weeks, Secret Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
GridBar versus Secret Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGridBarSecret Notes
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonas HoettlerLukasz Macczak

In-app purchases

1 purchases

GridBar

One-time1
  • GridBar Pro$8.99
2 purchases

Secret Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Secure Notes - Weekly$2.997 Days
  • SecureNotes Monthly$9.991 Month

Questions

Is GridBar free?
GridBar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Secret Notes free?
Secret Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GridBar or Secret Notes have ads?
Neither GridBar nor Secret Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GridBar or Secret Notes?
GridBar ships an update every 3 weeks, and Secret Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, GridBar was updated on November 5, 2026 and Secret Notes on October 31, 2026.

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