# Secure Notepad vs Standard Notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: Standard Notes at every 2 weeks against Secure Notepad's every 5 months. Standard Notes also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Secure Notepad's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 3.7K). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secure Notepad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 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 — 4.7 for Secure Notepad against 4.7 for Standard Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 3.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Secure Notepad's written reviews are positive against 63% of Standard Notes's.

Secure Notepad ships an update every 5 months, Standard Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secure Notepad | Standard Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-notepad/id711178888/reviews) | [4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 3.7K |
| Positive reviews | **69.9% of reviews** | 63.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dmytro Vynokurov](https://appshunter.io/developer/350017076) | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) |

## What reviewers say

### Secure Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-notepad/id711178888)

Securely store personal notes, contacts, and passwords with password protection. Features a simple interface, biometric unlock options, and password recovery. Keep your sensitive information private and organized.

**Highlights:** Password protection for all notes, Biometric unlock (Face ID/Touch ID), Sort notes by date or alphabetically, Automatic app lock, Password recovery via security question, Recover recently deleted notes

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Notes | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Password protection
- 🔒 Security question for password recovery
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Straightforward note-taking
- 🔒 Prevents others from accessing private notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid version required for more than 3 notes
- 🐛 Notes disappearing or not syncing across devices
- 🐛 Password/security question issues
- 🔒 Lack of customization options

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or freezing
- Inability to restore deleted notes
- Sync issues between iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to change app icon
- Syncing notes across devices
- More formatting options (bold, italic, etc.)
- Ability to organize notes into folders
- Dark mode option


### Standard Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450)

Securely capture and sync your thoughts across all devices with end-to-end encryption. This app offers a simple, lasting place for all your notes, from personal thoughts to sensitive information, with robust privacy features.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Cross-device syncing, Offline access, Passcode and biometric lock, Tagging system, Open-source code, Optional productivity editors and themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable sync
- 🔒 Excellent privacy and security
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 📚 Great for organizing notes
- 💻 Cross-platform availability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔑 Frustrating login/authentication issues
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription
- 📱 Limited features in free version
- 🖍️ Lack of formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting deleted unexpectedly
- Sync issues between devices
- Keyboard and UI bugs on mobile
- Compatibility problems with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for images and attachments
- Implement a more robust search function
- Introduce a dark mode option
- Allow for better note organization (folders, nested tags)
- Add undo/redo functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secure Notepad free?

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

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Secure Notepad or Standard Notes?

Secure Notepad and Standard Notes are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 13K and 3.7K ratings respectively.

### Do Secure Notepad or Standard Notes have ads?

Neither Secure Notepad nor Standard Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Secure Notepad or Standard Notes?

Secure Notepad ships an update every 5 months, and Standard Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Secure Notepad was updated on September 23, 2026 and Standard Notes on September 22, 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.*