Secure Notepad vs Private Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Secure Notepad
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide full description
This app will let you save personal notes, contacts, and passwords as well as any other personal or secret information which will be hidden from strangers' eyes and securely protected by a password. The free version has no ads! Another great feature of Secure Notepad is its simplicity and ease of use. The app has a clean and user-friendly interface, allowing you to quickly and easily create and edit notes. If you have forgotten your password for entering the app, it can be easily restored by answering the security question. Key features: • Very easy to use. • All of your notes are securely protected and accessible only to you. • Use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock the app. • Sort your notes by date or alphabetically. • Automatic lock (you have 30 seconds to return to the app without entering the password). • Restore password by answering the security question. • Ability to recover recently deleted notes. Whether you're taking notes in class, brainstorming ideas for a project, or just jotting down your thoughts, Secure Notepad is a great choice for keeping your information secure and organized. With its strong password protection and advanced security features, you can be sure that your notes will always be safe and secure.
Private Notes
This app transcribes and summarizes audio recordings entirely on your device, ensuring complete privacy. It offers real-time transcription, AI-generated summaries of key points and action items, and supports multiple languages, all without requiring an internet connection or account.
- 100% on-device processing
- Real-time transcription
- AI-powered summaries
- Multilingual support (10 languages)
- Offline functionality
- Export in Markdown
Read full descriptionHide full description
Your meetings stay private. Every word, every summary, every action item - processed entirely on your device. No servers. No uploads. No accounts. Just you and your notes. COMPLETELY OFFLINE - TRULY PRIVATE Unlike other AI notetakers that upload your audio to cloud services, Private Notes - AI Note Taker processes everything using Apple Intelligence directly on your iPhone. Your sensitive work discussions, confidential calls, and personal voice memos never leave your device. No internet required (except for time you subscribe). Sync is off by default. No data collection. Period. REAL-TIME TRANSCRIPTION Watch your words appear instantly as you speak. Private Notes - AI Note Taker uses Apple's speech recognition for real-time transcription with minimal latency. AI-POWERED SUMMARIES Stop wasting hours reviewing recordings. When your meeting ends, Apple Intelligence instantly generates: • Comprehensive narrative summary • Key points and highlights • Important decisions made • Action items with assignees • Main topics and themes discussed • Handles recordings of any length with full context preserved. MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT Transcribe in 10 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. DESIGNED FOR PRIVACY FROM DAY 1 • Zero data collection - we literally cannot access your data • No account required - start recording in seconds • Audio never leaves your device - all processing happens on-device • Optional encrypted iCloud backup - sync transcripts across devices • Works in airplane mode - recording and AI work fully offline • Encrypted local storage - iOS-level security built in • No analytics or tracking - your usage is your business SIMPLE AND POWERFUL FEATURES • One-tap recording with elegant, intuitive interface • Background recording - switch apps without stopping your session • Full searchable transcript with accurate timestamps • Beautiful dark mode support • Compact app size - no bloated AI models to download • Export transcripts and summaries in Markdown DEVICE REQUIREMENTS AI summaries require Apple Intelligence enabled device. Speech transcription works on all devices. WHY PRIVATE NOTES - AI NOTE TAKER Most AI notetakers and voice recorder apps process your voice on remote servers. That means your confidential discussions - therapy sessions, doctor visits, legal consultations, salary negotiations, business strategies - travel through the internet and sit on someone else's computer indefinitely. Private Notes - AI Note Taker is different. We built this offline note taker from the ground up to be 100% local and on-device. No compromises. No "mostly private" half-measures. Paid users who want backup can enable optional iCloud sync - encrypted by Apple, with no third-party access. Sync is off by default, and we still can't see your data. When you delete a recording, it's gone forever - because we never had access to it in the first place. PERFECT FOR • Lawyers and legal professionals • Business professionals who value confidentiality • Students and academic researchers • Journalists and content creators • Anyone who wants AI without surveillance FREE TO TRY Start recording with Private Notes - AI Note Taker for free and experience truly private AI note-taking. No account required, no time limits. Start recording with Private Notes for free — no account required, no time limits. Get 3 recordings per month, real-time transcription, AI summaries, and export features - all processed 100% on your device. When you're ready for more, upgrade to Premium: • Unlimited recordings • Full export and sharing • Optional encrypted iCloud sync • Monthly or yearly subscription options — cancel anytime Download Private Notes - AI Note Taker and experience the future of note-taking — intelligent, instant, and completely private. Terms of Use: https://privatenotes.app/terms-of-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Private Notes at 100% against Secure Notepad's 70%. Private Notes also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Secure Notepad's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 11) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Secure Notepad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Private Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Private Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. 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 100% of Private Notes's.
Secure Notepad ships an update every 5 months, Private Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Secure Notepad | Private Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (13K ratings) | 5.0 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13K — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dmytro Vynokurov | App Incubator Inc. |
Customer experience
Secure Notepad
Private Notes
Bugs and requests
Secure Notepad
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashing or freezing
- Inability to restore deleted notes
- Sync issues between iOS devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to change app icon
- Syncing notes across devices
- More formatting options (bold, italic, etc.)
- Ability to organize notes into folders
- Dark mode option
Private Notes
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Secure Notepad
- Unlimited Notes$9.99
Private Notes
- Weekly Plan3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Monthly Plan$4.991 Month
- Yearly Plan$24.991 Year
Questions
Is Secure Notepad free?
Is Private Notes free?
Which has better reviews, Secure Notepad or Private Notes?
Do Secure Notepad or Private Notes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Secure Notepad or Private Notes?
Other comparisons















