Comparison
Sealby vs Standard Notes
Features, pricing and privacy at a glance. Details and sources below.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Sealby | Standard Notes |
|---|---|---|
| No account required | Yes | PartialYes for offline use; account for sync |
| Deniable hidden vaults | Yes | No |
| Photos, videos & any file, organized | Yes | PartialLimited / paid add-on |
| Rich-text notes | Yes | YesPaid editors |
| Cross-platform (web, Android, desktop) | iPhone (iOS 17+) | Yes |
| Where encrypted data lives | YesYour device (+ your iCloud) | PartialLocal device; provider servers when sync is enabled |
| Duress PIN | YesPremium | No |
| Open-source clients | No | Yes |
| No ads |
Notes on this comparison
We compare published features, not independently tested security. A red cross earns no credit: the feature is unsupported, has a drawback, or is labelled “Not advertised” because we found no claim in the checked sources. “Not advertised” does not prove a feature is absent. An amber dash means documented partial support. A grey question mark is reserved for checks we could not assess and is excluded from the ranking score.
- 1.Sealby · No ads: No ads in either the free or Premium version.
- 2.Standard Notes · No ads: Check the current app and plan for advertising; this comparison does not establish that all versions are ad-free.
Premium, side by side.
US prices · Checked
| Plan | Sealby | Standard Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $4.99 | Not verified |
| Yearly | $24.99lower listed price | $120.00higher listed priceProfessional · 100 GB |
| Lifetime | $39.99One payment. No subscription. | Not verified |
↓ Lower price↑ Higher priceSame billing period; features differ.
Standard Notes · What these plans include
- ProductivityYearly
- $90.00
- Professional · 100 GBYearly
- $120.00
Listed offers, not guaranteed checkout prices. Availability and prices vary by region. “Not verified” means no unambiguous matching price was found, not that a plan is unavailable.
What’s the difference between Sealby and Standard Notes?
Sealby keeps notes, photos and documents together behind a vault’s own code. Standard Notes focuses on encrypted notes that sync across platforms through an account.
What Standard Notes is built for
- Open-source clients
- Note sync across major platforms, including the web
- A free tier for plain-text notes
- Account-free offline use, with an application passcode to enable local encryption
What to consider
- Sync uses an account and stores encrypted notes with the provider
- Notes-first workflow; rich-text editors and file storage are paid features
- No documented hidden-vault system with no stored list or count
The honest verdict
Choose Sealby for notes and media in the same private space. Choose Standard Notes if cross-platform note sync is your main need.
Sources & checked date
Checked against these public sources on October 13, 2026. App Store privacy labels are self-reported by developers. Apps change; if anything here is out of date, write to hello@sealby.app and we will correct it. Product names are trademarks of their owners; Sealby is not affiliated with them.
- Standard Notes: Can I use Standard Notes totally offline? (standardnotes.com)
- Checked (standardnotes.com)
Common questions
Is open-source a security advantage?
It lets people inspect how the software is built. It does not answer every privacy question by itself: who holds the keys, what a server learns and what account data exists still matter. Sealby publishes its security design and avoids the account and content-server model entirely.
Can Sealby sync my notes to other platforms?
Sealby is iPhone-first (iOS 17+). Premium syncs vaults between your devices through Encrypted Backup. If notes on every platform are the priority, a synced notes service fits better. Many people keep both, for different levels of privacy.
Can Standard Notes work without an account?
Yes. Standard Notes documents offline use without an account. Set an application passcode to enable encryption in that mode, and keep your own backups. An account is needed for its sync service, not for local-only notes.
Related: Private journaling · Notes & documents · Best photo vault apps for iPhone in 2026 · Encrypted notes on iPhone
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iPhone & iPad · iOS 17+ · Free