Comparison

SteelNote vs PrivacyNotes

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

Head to head
About

SteelNote

This app stores your notes as plain Markdown files on your device, ensuring you always own your data. It offers seamless syncing across Apple devices, instant search, and robust import options from other note-taking applications.

Highlights
  • Plain Markdown file storage
  • iCloud sync across Apple devices
  • Local full-text search
  • Import from multiple note apps
  • Link notes and see backlinks
  • Organize with folders and tags
  • Mark notes as private
Read full description

SteelNote is a notes app built on one promise: your notes are plain Markdown files that you own. Every note is a real .md file on your device, openable in the Files app or in any editor you like, today and years from now. No proprietary database. Nothing locked away. Your notes, truly yours. Because every note is plain text, you are never trapped. Read and edit them in SteelNote, in Files, or in any other Markdown app. If you ever move on, your writing stays exactly where it is, in an open format that lasts. Native on all your Apple devices. SteelNote is built natively for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Your notes sync across all of them through iCloud, with no third party account and no extra sign in. Start a note on your phone and finish it on your Mac. Find anything, instantly. A local full text index makes search immediate, even in large libraries. Link notes together, see backlinks, organize with folders and tags, and turn any line into a task. Private when you want it. Mark a note as private and it stays out of AI features and search suggestions. Your most sensitive notes remain yours alone. Bring everything with you. Switching is painless. Import from Bear, Notion, Obsidian, Evernote, Apple Notes and more, including Markdown, TextBundle, Word, RTF, PDF and CSV. Your folders and structure come along. Everything you expect. Add images, PDFs and tables inline. Use checklists, footnotes and links. Reach your notes from Spotlight, Siri and widgets, and hand off between devices. An open format, now standard. Markdown is a first class type across Apple platforms, and SteelNote is built natively around it. Your files are open, portable and yours. Membership. SteelNote comes with a 14 day free trial, then a yearly plan or a one time lifetime purchase. Sync is always included and never restricted. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. A yearly plan renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://steelnoteapp.com/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PrivacyNotes

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
Read full description

One encrypted home for everything you would never post. Your 12-word recovery phrase is your key, and with self-custody not even we can read a word. Seven pillars, one key: - Notes: rich editor, tags, note-links, instant search - Tasks: every checkbox in one view - Journal: mood, sleep and medication tracking - Vault: passwords, cards, SSH keys - Files: encrypted photos, documents, audio, video - Bookmarks: your saved links, with icons - Contacts: an address book that stays private Private by design: - Zero-knowledge encryption, data stored in Switzerland - Open source, no trackers, no ads - Works offline, syncs across all your devices - No email needed: a recovery phrase is enough Free forever on 2 devices. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://lifetimelabs.dev/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SteelNote4 screens
PrivacyNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

SteelNote and PrivacyNotes are too close to call on the numbers: across 7 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SteelNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SteelNote ships an update every 4 days, PrivacyNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
SteelNote versus PrivacyNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSteelNotePrivacyNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperClaude BezeaudLifetime Labs LLC

Customer experience

SteelNote

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PrivacyNotes

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SteelNote

Subscriptions1
  • Annual14 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time2
  • Founder$44.99
  • Lifetime$79.99
4 purchases

PrivacyNotes

Subscriptions3
  • 1 GB Encrypted Storage$4.991 Year
  • 2 GB Encrypted Storage$8.991 Year
  • 5 GB Encrypted Storage$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • PrivacyNotes Pro$49.99

Questions

Is SteelNote free?
SteelNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PrivacyNotes free?
PrivacyNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SteelNote or PrivacyNotes have ads?
Neither SteelNote nor PrivacyNotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SteelNote or PrivacyNotes?
SteelNote ships an update every 4 days, and PrivacyNotes every 3 days. Most recently, SteelNote was updated on September 28, 2026 and PrivacyNotes on October 7, 2026.

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