# Secure Notepad vs Shared Notes

The clearest difference is ads: Secure Notepad at none against Shared Notes's shown. Secure Notepad also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 11) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Shared Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secure Notepad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shared Notes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Secure Notepad holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Secure Notepad has 13K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Secure Notepad's written reviews are positive against 50% of Shared Notes's.

Secure Notepad ships an update every 5 months, Shared Notes every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secure Notepad | Shared Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-notepad/id711178888/reviews)** | [4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **69.9% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 83 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) | [Juanma Del Boca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826820062) |

## 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


### Shared Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868)

This app helps couples and friends stay organized with shared lists and notes. It features AI tools to summarize, format, and correct text, along with private, password-protected notes and offline functionality.

**Highlights:** Shared grocery and to-do lists, AI summarization and grammar correction, Password-protected private notes, Offline note-taking and syncing, Real-time synchronization, Cross-platform compatibility

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Half Year Subscription | $4.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secure Notepad free?

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

### Is Shared Notes free?

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

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

Secure Notepad is rated higher. Secure Notepad averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Shared Notes averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.

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

Shared Notes shows ads; Secure Notepad does not.

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

Secure Notepad ships an update every 5 months, and Shared Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Secure Notepad was updated on September 24, 2026 and Shared Notes on September 24, 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.*