Dash vs SecNotes

Dash is a private notes app for Mac and iPhone, with a web PWA that also supports Android. Notes remain on the device and the app works offline unless sync is enabled. Locked notes use AES-256-GCM encryption, with keys derived through PBKDF2-SHA256 using 600,000 iterations. App locking supports a master password, Touch ID or Face ID, and configurable auto-lock timers. A duress password opens decoy notes while actual notes remain encrypted; notes can also be configured to delete after one hour, one day, one week, or one month. Its block editor includes wiki-style links, folders, and tags. Local AI can connect to Ollama, LM Studio, LocalAI, Jan, and other OpenAI-compatible servers running on localhost, and rejects non-local endpoints. Pages and folders export as Markdown, DOCX, or PDF, and encrypted.dashpack backups are supported. Dash is open source under the MIT license. The web PWA and iPhone options are free. Dash for Mac is $14.99 a month, billed as lifetime access with no subscription required. Sync is $4.99 a month or $47.99 a year, each with a 7-day free trial.

SecNotes is a free Android note-taking app for personal data, with browser access for synced notes. It supports formatted text notes, image and video attachments, reminders, text-to-speech, themes and custom fonts, alongside spreadsheet and checklist formats. Notes can be arranged in folders and subfolders and protected with a password, PIN or pattern lock; the maker says they are stored using AES128 encryption. Spreadsheets include formulas, cell and row or column formatting, scrolling, sharing and XLS export. Checklists support sorting, reminders, item changes, duplicate checking and automatic completion when all items are checked. Backups are listed for Cloud and Dropbox, with SD-card backup and restore described in the app listing. Cloud-backed notes can be viewed and edited in a browser, and shared notes can be edited by up to 10 people. Imports include text and CSV files; exports include TXT, HTML, XLS, XLSX and PDF. Premium features include browser editing, shared notes, cloud backup, password recovery, printing, PDF and XLSX export, and ad removal.