Comparison

Note Widget vs Private Photo Vault

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Note Widget

Add customizable text widgets to your iOS home screen. Quickly view and edit notes, reminders, or inspirational quotes with various formatting options. Supports dark mode and allows multiple widgets displayed in organized lists.

Highlights
  • Customizable text widgets
  • Home screen integration
  • View and edit notes
  • Font and color customization
  • Markdown and pseudo HTML support
  • Dark mode support
  • Multiple widget lists
Features
Read full description

Those Widgets are compatible with the new iOS 14 Home Screen Widgets. Thanks to this application (and the other Widget apps from PacoLabs), you can now customize the Today view of your device, by adding custom widgets for some specific purposes. From anywhere in your device, with a simple top to bottom swipe, you'll have access to your own information and actions. Each Note widget allows to view user defined text. This is perfect to quickly view and edit some notes and reminders or to give you inspiration with your favourite quotes. The text can be displayed in different ways (by changing the size, the font, the color, the alignment). Markdown and pseudo HTML are partially handled and allows to easily add some specific colors and text formatting. The text can be quickly edited by touching it. The application is really easy to use and is adapted to the fresh look of your device. Dark mode of iOS13 is supported. You can add as many widgets as you want and they will be displayed in up to 3 different lists. Those same lists will be available in the Today view and in the application (although it is possible, if you want, to hide some widgets in the Today view). To avoid overloading the Today view, when too many widgets are displayed, an intuitive control will allow you to navigate from one widget to another. Even if the main purpose of the app is to view the widgets in the Today view, it can also be very handy to view them directly in the application (a long press on a widget in the Today view will open it directly in the main application).

About

Private Photo Vault

Features
Read full description

Private Photo Vault – Your Encrypted Media Safe Real Encryption for Photos & Videos — Not a Hidden Album Trick • Many "private gallery" apps rely on moving items out of the Photos app. Private Photo Vault encrypts your photos and videos so they're not simply "moved and obscured" — they're locked with strong, modern cryptography. Why Private Photo Vault? • Military-Grade Protection – Strong encryption for the media you care about most • Import + In-App Capture – Add from your library or take photos and record video inside the app • Unlimited Library Growth – No paywall gimmicks for "item counts" in the description of what the app is built to do: protect your media at scale • Photos, Video & Audio – Any format, any file size, all encrypted the same way • Not Just Your Camera Roll – Word, PowerPoint, PDFs, and other important files are supported too, with the same strong encryption and no limit on how many you protect • Organized Vaults – Folders and structure so a growing collection stays manageable • Biometric Unlock – Face ID, Touch ID, and password for flexible, secure access • No Cloud Required – Designed for on-device security (your vault isn't a remote upload by default) • Lightweight by Design – Clean, fast, and focused on privacy — not feature clutter How It Works • 1. Set Up Your Vault – Create your password and security preferences on first launch • 2. Add Media – Import albums or pick individual photos and videos • 3. Stay Protected – New imports are encrypted and secured automatically • 4. Open Instantly – Use biometrics for daily access, password when you need maximum control What You Get • Auto-Lock for when you set your phone down • Private viewers for photos and videos so you can review content safely in-app • Import progress for large moves so you always know the status • Integrity-minded handling to help your protected files stay in good shape Not "Hidden." Encrypted. • Hiding is rearranging files. Encryption is making them unusable without your secret. Private Photo Vault is built around the second approach. Great For • Couples, parents, and anyone sharing a device • Creators who want a separate "work-in-progress" media space • Anyone who wants their camera roll cleaner — without sacrificing real security Download Private Photo Vault today and take control of your digital privacy — with encryption you can trust. Your memories deserve the highest level of protection. Free Version Get started with up to 3 photos or videos encrypted for free. Perfect for trying out the app and protecting your most important memories. Pro Features – Unlimited Storage Upgrade to Pro for unlimited photo and video encryption with three flexible options: Annual Subscription - $14.99/year Best value option with 3-day free trial. No charges during trial period. Lifetime Access - $29.99 one-time payment Pay once, use forever. Includes all future updates and features. • Privacy Policy: https://www.notion.so/shieldapps/Photo-Vault-Privacy-Policy-2782cb8376c68147a75ef241cbc42196 • Terms of Use: https://www.notion.so/shieldapps/Photo-Vault-Terms-Conditions-2782cb8376c681de937bea228eea4940

Screenshots

Note Widget4 screens
Private Photo Vault3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Private Photo Vault at Free against Note Widget's $0.99. Note Widget's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Private Photo Vault is free to download; Note Widget costs $0.99 up front. Private Photo Vault sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Note Widget asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Note Widget versus Private Photo Vault: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNote WidgetPrivate Photo Vault
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (33 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings33 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB5 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperFrancis Bonnin满 李

In-app purchases

None

Note Widget

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Private Photo Vault

Subscriptions2
  • Upgrade to Pro - Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Upgrade to Pro - Annual3 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Upgrade to Pro - Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Note Widget free?
Note Widget costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Private Photo Vault free?
Private Photo Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Note Widget or Private Photo Vault have ads?
Neither Note Widget nor Private Photo Vault shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Note Widget or Private Photo Vault?
Note Widget ships an update every 4 months, and Private Photo Vault every 4 months. Most recently, Note Widget was updated on November 6, 2026 and Private Photo Vault on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons