# DS note vs Notesnook

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Notesnook at 78% against DS note's 31%. Notesnook also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.8) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). DS note's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notesnook sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. DS note asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notesnook holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notesnook has 653 ratings behind it against 109, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of DS note's written reviews are positive against 78% of Notesnook's.

DS note ships an update every 3 months, Notesnook weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS note | Notesnook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-note/id918177542/reviews) | **[4.7 (653 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 109 | **653** |
| Positive reviews | 30.7% of reviews | **78.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Streetwriters LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536533660) |

## What reviewers say

### DS note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-note/id918177542)

Create, organize, and share notes anywhere, even offline. This app syncs with your personal cloud storage, allowing you to manage to-do lists, project information, and memories. Organize with tags, notebooks, and shortcuts for easy access and sharing.

**Highlights:** Note creation and editing, Offline access, Tagging and notebook organization, Note sharing, Sync with Synology NAS

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Data stored on personal NAS for privacy
- 🔄 Reliable synchronization across devices
- 💰 Free alternative to Evernote
- 📱 Available on multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Web)
- ✅ Simple and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notes disappear when app left open without saving
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app instability
- 🐛 Copy-paste functionality unreliable
- 🐛 Keyboard arrow keys don't work on iPad
- 🐛 Apple Pencil causes app crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes content erased when leaving app open
- App crashes on startup
- App crashes when using Apple Pencil
- App crashes during text input with swipe-to-text
- App crashes when printing

**Requested features**

- Dark mode for all platforms
- Apple Pencil support for iPad
- Arrow key support for Bluetooth keyboards
- Auto-save functionality
- Offline mode for note creation


### Notesnook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesnook-private-notepad/id1544027013)

This open-source app offers secure, encrypted note-taking and organization across all your devices. It features a robust editor, to-do lists, and a private journal with advanced security to protect your personal information.

**Highlights:** Military-grade encryption, Cross-platform synchronization, To-do lists and task management, Private journal with media support, Rich text and Markdown editor, Notebook organization, App lock with fingerprint support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notesnook Pro | $0.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Essential Plan | $1.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $2.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $4.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $4.49 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Believer Plan | $8.99 | per month |
| Notesnook Pro | $9.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Essential Plan | $19.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $29.90 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Pro Plan | $69.99 | per year |
| Notesnook Believer Plan | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
- 👍 Cross-platform compatibility
- 👍 Generous free tier

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync and login issues
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes
- 💰 Expensive premium tier
- 🔒 Lack of free encryption features

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch on older iOS devices
- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Unreliable login and verification process

**Requested features**

- Improved search functionality
- Reminders and calendar integration
- Handwriting and drawing support
- Multilingual support
- Improved table and spreadsheet features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS note free?

DS note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Notesnook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DS note or Notesnook?

Notesnook is rated higher. DS note averages 2.8 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while Notesnook averages 4.7 from 653 ratings.

### Do DS note or Notesnook have ads?

Neither DS note nor Notesnook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS note or Notesnook?

DS note ships an update every 3 months, and Notesnook weekly. Most recently, DS note was updated on October 1, 2026 and Notesnook on October 2, 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.*