# Private Notes vs OwnNotes

The clearest difference is ads: Private Notes at none against OwnNotes's shown. OwnNotes's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.4). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Private Notes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and OwnNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Private Notes ships an update monthly, OwnNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Notes | OwnNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 days** |
| Size | 18 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.4 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cengiz Darian Hanci](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878103848) | [Rajeev Kadaplackal Rajappan Pillai](https://appshunter.io/developer/6805594738) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes-offline-notepad/id6792270378)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime - Welcome | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $27.99 | one-time |


### OwnNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ownnotes-private-ai-note/id6805594736)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OwnNotes - Remove Ad | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Notes free?

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

### Is OwnNotes free?

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

### Do Private Notes or OwnNotes have ads?

OwnNotes shows ads; Private Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Private Notes or OwnNotes?

Private Notes ships an update monthly, and OwnNotes every 3 days. Most recently, Private Notes was updated on October 7, 2026 and OwnNotes on October 9, 2026.

---

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