# Secure Notepad vs Notesnook

The clearest difference is update cadence: Notesnook at every 8 days against Secure Notepad's every 5 months. Notesnook also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 70%). Secure Notepad's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 672). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secure Notepad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Notesnook sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. 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 Notesnook. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Secure Notepad has 13K ratings behind it against 672, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Secure Notepad's written reviews are positive against 79% of Notesnook's.

Secure Notepad ships an update every 5 months, Notesnook every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 10, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secure Notepad | Notesnook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-notepad/id711178888/reviews) | [4.7 (672 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 672 |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews | **78.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dmytro Vynokurov](https://appshunter.io/developer/350017076) | [Streetwriters LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536533660) |

## 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


### Notesnook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013)

This open-source app offers secure, encrypted note-taking and organization across all your devices. It features a robust editor, to-do lists, and a private journal with advanced security to protect your personal information.

**Highlights:** Military-grade encryption, Cross-platform synchronization, To-do lists and task management, Private journal with media support, Rich text and Markdown editor, Notebook organization, App lock with fingerprint support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notesnook Pro | $0.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Essential Plan | $1.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $2.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $4.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $4.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Believer Plan | $8.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $9.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Essential Plan | $19.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $29.90 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $69.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Believer Plan | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
- 👍 Cross-platform compatibility
- 👍 Generous free tier

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync and login issues
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes
- 💰 Expensive premium tier
- 🔒 Lack of free encryption features

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch on older iOS devices
- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Unreliable login and verification process

**Requested features**

- Improved search functionality
- Reminders and calendar integration
- Handwriting and drawing support
- Multilingual support
- Improved table and spreadsheet features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secure Notepad free?

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

### Is Notesnook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Secure Notepad or Notesnook?

Secure Notepad and Notesnook are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 13K and 672 ratings respectively.

### Do Secure Notepad or Notesnook have ads?

Neither Secure Notepad nor Notesnook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Secure Notepad or Notesnook?

Secure Notepad ships an update every 5 months, and Notesnook every 8 days. Most recently, Secure Notepad was updated on October 10, 2026 and Notesnook on October 10, 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.*