Comparison

DS note vs QNAP Authenticator

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

Head to head
About

DS note

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
Read full description

**You must own a Synology NAS to run this app, and be running the Note Station 1.1 to get the complete set of features** Whether for creating your weekly to-do list, sharing information on projects with your teammates, or simply describing your best holiday memories, DS note’s editing features make it easy and pleasant to take note of anything you want, anywhere you need, even with no network. Use tags, notebooks and shortcuts to organise all your notes, and share them instantly with anyone you want. And that’s always safe as DS note keeps it all in sync with your note library on your Synology NAS server, your personal cloud. Find all detailed features about the app on our website: https://www.synology.com/dsm/software_spec/note_station

About

QNAP Authenticator

Enhance your account security with this mobile app that provides 2-Step Verification and Passwordless Login. It offers multiple verification methods, including login approval, QR code scanning, and online codes, with TOTP support for offline use and third-party accounts.

Highlights
  • 2-Step Verification
  • Passwordless Login
  • Login Approval
  • QR Code Verification
  • Online Verification Code
  • Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP)
  • Offline TOTP generation
Read full description

QNAP Authenticator is a free app that adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by using your mobile device to verify your login. You can authenticate your identity using 2-Step Verification or Passwordless Login and choose from multiple verification methods. 【Requirements】 - QNAP NAS running QTS 5.1.0 (or later) - iOS 15 (or later) 【Major features of QNAP Authenticator】 - Supports 2-Step Verification and Passwordless Login - Supports scanning a QR code to quickly add an account - Supports the following verification methods:  1.Login Approval: Approve a login request with just a tap  2.QR Code: Scan a QR code to verify a login request  3.Online Verification Code: Receive a code sent from your QNAP device for verification  4.Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP): Generate a code automatically renewed for verification Login Approval, QR Code, and Online Verification Code require a connection to your NAS, whereas TOTP can work offline. This method also supports verifying third-party accounts from Google, Microsoft, Facebook, GitHub, and other service providers that have implemented their authentication following the TOTP standard.

Screenshots

DS note4 screens
QNAP Authenticator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DS note at 2.8 against QNAP Authenticator's 2.0. DS note also leads on ratings volume (109 vs 12) and review sentiment (31% vs 20%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DS note holds the better App Store score, 2.8 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DS note has 109 ratings behind it against 12, 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 20% of QNAP Authenticator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DS note versus QNAP Authenticator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDS noteQNAP Authenticator
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (109 ratings) — better2.0 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews30.7% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings109 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynology Inc.QNAP Systems, Inc.

Customer experience

DS note

All ratings109 ratings
Positive39.4%
Neutral14.7%
Negative45.9%
Written reviews398 reviews
Positive30.7%
Neutral24.4%
Negative45.0%

QNAP Authenticator

All ratings10 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

Bugs and requests

DS note

Reported bugs

26 issues
  • 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
Show 21 more
  • Keyboard disappears during note editing
  • Cannot paste text from clipboard
  • Arrow keys non-functional in note body
  • Sync stuck at certain percentage
  • Login failures with QuickConnect
  • HTTPS connection not working on iOS
  • Formatting changes after sync between devices
  • Shared notes don't sync properly
  • Copy-paste causes font changes
  • Phantom bullets in lists after paste
  • Cursor control issues in text editing
  • Images not displaying or loading slowly
  • Voice input crashes app
  • Checklist items not syncing in shared notes
  • iPad version text input issues
  • Incompatibility with iOS 14 and 15
  • DynDNS connection broken after updates
  • Sync conflicts between devices
  • Search returns irrelevant results
  • Notification functionality unreliable
  • iPad Pro resolution not interpreted correctly

Requested features

26 requests
  • Dark mode for all platforms
  • Apple Pencil support for iPad
  • Arrow key support for Bluetooth keyboards
  • Auto-save functionality
  • Offline mode for note creation
Show 21 more
  • Markdown support
  • Code block formatting
  • Table creation and editing
  • PDF import and annotation
  • Export to PDF and other formats
  • Nested notebooks/folders (sub-notes)
  • Drag-and-drop file attachments
  • Web clipper browser extension
  • Recurring tasks/reminders
  • Task assignment to other users
  • Calendar integration
  • Improved search functionality
  • Import from Evernote (.enex files)
  • Widgets for home screen
  • Better formatting options
  • Image editing and markup
  • Handwriting recognition
  • Split-screen support on iPad
  • Collaborative editing
  • Password-protected note sharing
  • TLS 1.3 support

QNAP Authenticator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

DS note

No in-app purchases

None

QNAP Authenticator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DS note free?
DS note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is QNAP Authenticator free?
QNAP Authenticator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DS note or QNAP Authenticator?
DS note is rated higher. DS note averages 2.8 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while QNAP Authenticator averages 2.0 from 12 ratings.
Do DS note or QNAP Authenticator have ads?
Neither DS note nor QNAP Authenticator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DS note or QNAP Authenticator?
DS note ships an update every 3 months, and QNAP Authenticator every 3 months. Most recently, DS note was updated on October 1, 2026 and QNAP Authenticator on October 2, 2026.

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