# Colored Note vs Secret Diary with Lock

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Colored Note at none against Secret Diary with Lock's 4. Colored Note also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (5K vs 692). Secret Diary with Lock's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 54%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secret Diary with Lock sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Colored Note asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Colored Note against 4.7 for Secret Diary with Lock. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Colored Note has 5K ratings behind it against 692, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Colored Note's written reviews are positive against 78% of Secret Diary with Lock's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Colored Note | Secret Diary with Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colored-note/id907913367/reviews) | [4.7 (692 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-with-lock-muse/id1151869610/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5K** | 692 |
| Positive reviews | 53.5% of reviews | **78.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Veniamin Gribkov](https://appshunter.io/developer/907913370) | [Bogdan Filippov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1108017036) |

## What reviewers say

### Colored Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colored-note/id907913367)

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with a versatile diary and notepad. Add photos, color-code entries, and organize with tags for easy retrieval. Share your notes with friends or keep them private with passcode protection.

**Highlights:** Add photos to notes, Color-code notes for organization, Assign tags for searching, Sort notes as desired, Share notes with friends, Secure notes with a passcode

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Variety of colors and fonts
- 📝 Helpful for note-taking
- 🌟 Great app overall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or data loss
- 🔍 Difficulty finding or organizing notes
- 🔒 Lack of security features (e.g., password protection)
- 🔧 Issues with recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or not saving properly
- Cursor jumping or text selection issues
- Glitches with recent app updates

**Requested features**

- Add checklist/to-do list functionality
- Improve note sorting and search options
- Implement password protection or biometric security
- Provide more font and customization options


### Secret Diary with Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-with-lock-muse/id1151869610)

This app allows you to capture and preserve life's moments with rich detail. Protect your thoughts with biometric or passcode locks, personalize your entries with various media, and sync across devices. It's designed to make journaling an enjoyable and secure experience.

**Highlights:** Password, Face, and Fingerprint Lock, Multiple Customizable Journals, Add Photos, Audio, Geolocation, Mood, Weather, iCloud Synchronization, Journaling Reminders, Elegant and Intuitive Design

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Muse Plus: Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Muse Plus: Annual Individual | $24.99 | per year |
| Muse Plus: Family Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Muse Plus: Family Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Secure with password/fingerprint lock
- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 📸 Ability to add photos to entries
- 🩷 Customizable appearance (colors, icons)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with text editing and cursor jumping
- 💤 Occasional app freezes and crashes
- 📢 Intrusive ads and paywalls
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing older entries

**Reported bugs**

- Entries sometimes disappear or get deleted
- Syncing issues with iCloud
- App getting stuck during setup

**Requested features**

- Calendar view for entries
- Multiple photo support per entry
- Formatting options (bold, italic, etc.)
- Ability to change password


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Colored Note free?

Colored Note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Secret Diary with Lock free?

Secret Diary with Lock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Colored Note or Secret Diary with Lock?

Colored Note and Secret Diary with Lock are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5K and 692 ratings respectively.

### Do Colored Note or Secret Diary with Lock have ads?

Secret Diary with Lock shows ads; Colored Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Colored Note or Secret Diary with Lock?

Colored Note ships an update weekly, and Secret Diary with Lock weekly. Most recently, Colored Note was updated on October 15, 2026 and Secret Diary with Lock on October 15, 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.*