Shell Notes vs Think First
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shell Notes
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Encrypted notes that never leave your device. No cloud, no account, no tracking. Shell Notes is a private, offline notes app with one sharp focus: keep your writing local, encrypted, and yours alone — in a fast markdown and code editor with a calm, dark, developer-flavored theme. · Real AES-256-GCM encryption (audited open-source crypto: @noble/ciphers, @noble/hashes), keyed off your passphrase via PBKDF2-SHA256. · A master passphrase only you know. No recovery, by design — there is no backdoor and no copy of your data. · App-lock with optional Face ID. · Plain text, Markdown,JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, JSON, Shell, HTTP and CSS syntax highlighting. · Folders, starring, pinning, full-text search. · Eleven monospace typefaces — JetBrains Mono, Fira Code, IBM Plex Mono, Source Code Pro, Ubuntu Mono, Inconsolata, Anonymous Pro, Space Mono, Roboto Mono, VT323, and a default UI font. · A subtle scanline overlay you can switch off. · No analytics. No advertising. No sign-up, no email, no phone number. · No cloud sync, no remote model calls, no leakage. Your notes, folders and search index stay on this device. Export your vault to JSON through the iOS share sheet whenever you choose — nothing leaves otherwise. Shell Notes protects your notes at rest, on this device, with strong encryption. If you forget your passphrase, your locked notes are gone — there is no recovery. If your unlocked iPhone is in someone else's hands, the app is only as safe as your iOS lock screen and the auto-lock setting you choose inside Shell Notes. For developers, journalists, and anyone who closes an app the moment it asks for an email address. Quiet, local, yours. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shellnotes.surge.sh/privacy
Think First
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You reach for your phone – and 40 minutes later you no longer know why. Think First puts a short, deliberate moment right before that. No lecturing, no permanent lockout. The app stays closed until you have taken a moment – then the decision is yours. SETUP IN THREE STEPS • Pick your app from the list – around 70 well-known apps are built in • Link it in the system dialog so iOS knows which app you mean • Allow notifications – they take you from the blocked app to your countdown HOW YOUR MOMENT WORKS • You tap the app – it is blocked and shows its name • "Start my moment" sends you a notification • You tap it, the countdown runs, then you decide • Finally you set how long you need: 5, 15 or 30 minutes • The app then opens by itself – and locks again once your time is used HOW LONG DO YOU NEED? After the countdown you set yourself a time budget. Real usage counts, not the clock: if the phone sits on the table in between, your budget doesn't run down. Once it's used up the app locks itself again. YOUR APPS, BY NAME AND ICON Every protected app appears the way you know it: in statistics, in notifications and on the lock screen. So you see which app calls you how often – not just an anonymous total. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU NEED IT FOR • Before the app opens you type, in one sentence, what you actually intend to do • Apple Intelligence reads along directly on your iPhone and checks that you really answered – not whether your reason is good enough • Later you see which sentence you tell yourself most often • Your text never leaves your device. Requires iPhone 15 Pro or newer with iOS 26 STAYING WITH IT, MADE REWARDING • Levels, XP and streaks for every impulse you win, 12 badges • Streak protection: once a week a day may drop out • Add friends and compare the week – free, up to 50 • Share your wins as an image: your numbers, your streak, your badges AT A GLANCE A home screen widget with your numbers per app – and one for the lock screen, right where you reach for the phone. EMERGENCY? SOS Press and hold the app icon, confirm three times: everything is open for 5 minutes. Then everything locks itself again – even if you never open Think First. PRIVACY • Your statistics stay on your iPhone. No account, no tracking, no ads • Think First never learns which apps you pick – Apple does not reveal that • The friends feature is optional and data-minimal FREE AND PREMIUM Free, no account, no ads: • Three protected apps with the deliberate moment • State your intention (iPhone 15 Pro or newer) • Instant “Focus now” sessions • Your numbers for today • Levels, XP, streaks and badges • Friends and leaderboard, up to 50 With Premium: • Hard Mode – the lock can't be clicked away while it runs • Daily limits: “30 minutes of social”, then it's done • Focus schedules: “Study 8–15, Mon–Fri” • As many apps as you like • Growing wait: every further reach costs more time today • Impulse quota: “Instagram three times a day, no more” • Time profiles, your own wait and question per app • Advanced statistics including CSV export • 11 themes, 10 app icons, widgets Both subscriptions start with 7 days free: €49.99 a year or €6.99 a month. Or €89.99 once, with no subscription at all. Already subscribed to Premium? Your current price stays. Think First Premium is available as a yearly (€49.99) or monthly (€6.99) subscription – both with the first 7 days free – or as a one-time purchase (€89.99, no subscription). Payment is charged to your Apple Account on confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hbj-solutions.com/thinkfirst/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Think First at every 5 days against Shell Notes's every 5 weeks. Shell Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Shell Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Think First sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Shell Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, Think First every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shell Notes | Think First |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ivan Dotsenko | HBJ Solutions |
In-app purchases
Shell Notes
- Shell Notes Pro Weekly$0.997 Days
- Shell Notes Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
- Shell Notes Pro Lifetime$17.99
Think First
- Think First Premium7 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Think First Premium7 Days trial$44.991 Year
- Think First Premium$3.99
- Think First Premium$79.99









