# Catalyst vs PrivacyNotes

The clearest difference is monetization model: PrivacyNotes at free with in-app purchases against Catalyst's subscription. PrivacyNotes also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). Catalyst's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.4). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Catalyst sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days and PrivacyNotes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Catalyst against 5.0 for PrivacyNotes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Catalyst ships an update fortnightly, PrivacyNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Catalyst | PrivacyNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catalyst-commit-and-achieve/id6762204965/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacynotes-zero-knowledge/id6785958812/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 97 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BlackShift LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893358026) | [Lifetime Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785958814) |

## What reviewers say

### Catalyst

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catalyst-commit-and-achieve/id6762204965)

This app uses financial consequences to help users achieve their goals. Users commit money to a 30-day cycle, earning it back with a bonus for completion or losing it if they fail. Mastermind groups provide social accountability.

**Highlights:** Financial commitment for goals, Daily reflection tracking, 30-day goal cycles, Mastermind accountability groups, Consequence-based motivation, Goal progress feed

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Catalyst Weekly | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| Catalyst | $49.99 | per month |


### PrivacyNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacynotes-zero-knowledge/id6785958812)

Securely manage your notes, tasks, and journal with end-to-end encryption. This app ensures your data is private by design, with no trackers or ads. It works offline and syncs encrypted across your devices without requiring an account.

**Highlights:** Zero-knowledge encryption, Markdown-native notes, Task management, Private journaling, Offline functionality, Cross-device sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 GB Encrypted Storage | $4.99 | per year |
| 2 GB Encrypted Storage | $8.99 | per year |
| 5 GB Encrypted Storage | $17.99 | per year |
| PrivacyNotes Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Catalyst free?

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

### Is PrivacyNotes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Catalyst or PrivacyNotes?

Catalyst and PrivacyNotes are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Catalyst or PrivacyNotes have ads?

Neither Catalyst nor PrivacyNotes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Catalyst or PrivacyNotes?

Catalyst ships an update fortnightly, and PrivacyNotes every 3 days. Most recently, Catalyst was updated on October 4, 2026 and PrivacyNotes on October 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.*