# memono Journal vs Private Notes.

The clearest difference is review sentiment: memono Journal at 85% against Private Notes.'s 14%. memono Journal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). Private Notes.'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. memono Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 3 months. Private Notes. asks for nothing beyond the download.

memono Journal ships an update monthly, Private Notes. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | memono Journal | Private Notes. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (301 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memono-journal/id906470619/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **301** | — |
| Positive reviews | **85.2% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 50 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dennis Ebbinghaus](https://appshunter.io/developer/858934149) | [WALABOK LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/913827467) |

## What reviewers say

### memono Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memono-journal/id906470619)

Create rich multimedia journal entries with text, photos, audio, and location data. Organize notes with color categories, set reminders, and share them easily. Secure your entries with a lock and fingerprint access.

**Highlights:** Multimedia notes (text, photos, audio), Location tagging, Color-coded organization, Reminders and notifications, Secure lock with Touch ID, iCloud synchronization, Note sharing

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 months | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year | $4.99 | per year |
| One-time purchase | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔒 Password protection
- 📷 Ability to add photos
- 🎵 Voice recording support
- 📍 Location tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Ads are too frequent
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/searching notes
- 🔤 Small font size
- 📁 Limited organization options

**Reported bugs**

- Photos disappearing after saving
- Syncing issues between devices
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to change font size and style
- Option to add multiple photos per note
- Folder/category organization
- Improved search and sorting functionality


### Private Notes.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes/id1539765495)

Securely store your personal thoughts, ideas, and text with a passcode or biometric authentication. This app offers intuitive text editing tools and a straightforward interface for organizing timestamped notes.

**Highlights:** Biometric and passcode security, Intuitive copy/paste/cut, Text formatting (underline, bold, italic), Timestamped notes, Straightforward user interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is memono Journal free?

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

### Is Private Notes. free?

Private Notes. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do memono Journal or Private Notes. have ads?

Private Notes. shows ads; memono Journal does not.

### Which is updated more often, memono Journal or Private Notes.?

memono Journal ships an update monthly, and Private Notes. every 2 months. Most recently, memono Journal was updated on November 6, 2026 and Private Notes. on November 3, 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.*