# SteelNote: Markdown Notes — Simple, local, plain text

> Markdown notes app with local file ownership and iCloud sync. (iPhone/iPad app by Claude Bezeaud.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steelnote-markdown-notes/id6765892871 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Claude Bezeaud](https://appshunter.io/developer/500254221)
- Category: Productivity, Utilities
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.6 · 17 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Spanish
- Released: 2026-08-13
- Data updated: 2026-10-14
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steelnote-markdown-notes/id6765892871/reviews.md

## What is SteelNote?

SteelNote is a notes app built on one promise: your notes are plain Markdown files that you own. Every note is a real .md file on your device, openable in the Files app or in any editor you like, today and years from now. No proprietary database. Nothing locked away.

Your notes, truly yours.
Because every note is plain text, you are never trapped. Read and edit them in SteelNote, in Files, or in any other Markdown app. If you ever move on, you take your files with you as they are, in an open format that lasts.

Native on all your Apple devices.
SteelNote is built natively for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Your notes sync across all of them through iCloud, with no third party account and no extra sign in. Start a note on your phone and finish it on your Mac.

Find anything, instantly.
A local full text index makes search immediate, even in large libraries. Link notes together, see backlinks, organize with folders and tags, and turn any line into a task.

Private when you want it.
Mark a note as private and it stays out of widgets and AI features. Your most sensitive notes remain yours alone.

Bring everything with you.
Import from Bear, Notion, Obsidian and Evernote, or from Markdown, TextBundle, Word, RTF, PDF and CSV files. Your folders and structure come along. Apple Notes works too, one note at a time, because Apple offers no bulk export.

Everything you expect.
Add images, PDFs and tables inline. Use checklists, footnotes and links. Reach your notes from Spotlight, Siri and widgets, and hand off between devices.

An open format, now standard.
Markdown is a first class type across Apple platforms, and SteelNote is built natively around it. Your files are open, portable and yours.

Membership.
SteelNote comes with a 14 day free trial, then a yearly plan or a one time lifetime purchase. You can cancel during the trial and pay nothing, or skip the subscription and choose the lifetime purchase instead. Sync is always included and never restricted. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. A yearly plan renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your Account settings.

Privacy Policy: https://steelnoteapp.com/privacy.html
Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Key features

- Plain Markdown file storage
- iCloud sync across Apple devices
- Local full-text search
- Import from multiple note apps
- Link notes and see backlinks
- Organize with folders and tags
- Mark notes as private

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual | $24.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |
| Founder | $44.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (1 of 1)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steelnote-markdown-notes/id6765892871/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Very nice

*2026-09-08*

This one has the power to knock drafts off my virtual app-shelf. Still some bugs (even after the recent update iCloud-syncing doesn’t work) but definitely worth the wait for a fix. Bought the one-time purchase anyways to support further development. Recommended.

**Developer response:** Thank you, and thank you for buying the lifetime option. At this stage that
really matters.

You are right about syncing, and I am sorry you ran into it. A fault on my
side was stopping notes from reaching iCloud. That part is fixed, but notes
written before the fix never went up, so they can still be missing on your
other devices. Two steps bring them back, and the order matters:

1. Update to the latest version on every device.
2. Then, on the device that already has the notes, open Settings, Advanced 
Recovery, and run "Push All Notes".

Nothing was lost. Your notes stayed on your device the whole time, it was
only their upload that was blocked.

If anything is still missing afterwards, write to me at
contact@steelnoteapp.com and I will look at it with you.

## Frequently asked questions about SteelNote

### What is SteelNote's primary promise regarding user data?

SteelNote's core promise is that your notes are plain Markdown files that you own. This means your data is stored in an open format, accessible via the Files app or any other editor, ensuring you are never locked into the application.

### How does SteelNote handle syncing across devices?

SteelNote syncs your notes across iPhone, iPad, and Mac using iCloud. This process is seamless, requiring no third-party accounts or extra sign-ins, allowing you to start a note on one device and finish it on another.

### Can I import my existing notes into SteelNote?

Yes, SteelNote makes switching painless by allowing you to import notes from popular applications like Bear, Notion, Obsidian, Evernote, and Apple Notes. It supports various formats including Markdown, TextBundle, Word, RTF, PDF, and CSV.

### What are the pricing options for SteelNote?

SteelNote offers a 14-day free trial, after which you can choose a yearly plan or a one-time lifetime purchase. Syncing is always included and unrestricted. Payment is handled through your Apple Account.

### How is search functionality in SteelNote?

SteelNote features a local full-text index that provides immediate search results, even for large libraries of notes. You can also reach your notes via Spotlight and Siri for quick access.

### Does SteelNote have ads?

No, SteelNote does not contain advertisements. The application is free to download and use, with monetization coming from optional in-app purchases for its membership plans.

### What is the age rating for SteelNote?

SteelNote has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for a wide range of users, including children, and does not contain content typically deemed inappropriate for younger audiences.

### How often is SteelNote updated?

SteelNote was last updated on September 9, 2026, with version 1.0.8. This indicates a relatively active development cycle, suggesting ongoing improvements and bug fixes.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.15 — 2026-10-10

This update fixes a cursor problem in the editor.

When you tapped the end of a note to keep writing, the text could slide out of view above the keyboard and the cursor disappeared. Sometimes it came back right away, sometimes only once you started typing. The editor was making room for the keyboard twice, which pushed the text up. The cursor now stays visible, just above the keyboard.

### 1.0.14 — 2026-10-05

This update lets you send photos from the Photos app to SteelNote.

• Share up to 10 photos from Photos to SteelNote: they arrive together in a new note in your Inbox, titled with the date and time. The note keeps a lighter copy of each photo, without its location.
• Fixes rare cases where closing a note could leave a second copy of it, or where the notes list briefly showed an older version of a note, hid a note you had just created, or brought back one you had just deleted.
• Various fixes and improvements.

### 1.0.13 — 2026-09-30

This update adds a full-screen image viewer, an on-device AI summary for related notes, and a few more settings.

• Tap an image in a note to open it full screen, with pinch to zoom and swipe between the note's images.
• On Apple Intelligence-eligible devices, the new Summarize option (on notes that refer to the current one) generates a summary with links to each note.
• A new setting shows Markdown syntax (#, **, *) instead of hiding it, with a matching toolbar button to switch quickly.
• The search bar and the notes list's action bars now use iOS 26's new glass look (Liquid Glass).
• Various fixes and improvements.

### 1.0.12 — 2026-09-25

This update makes tags easier to manage.

• Add a tag to a note from its context menu, or to several notes at once with Select.
• Delete a tag from the Tags list. After a confirmation, it is removed from every note that carries it, along with its sub-tags.
• Fixes a fault that, in certain conditions, could remove text between angle brackets, such as an email address, or turn a tag at the start of a line into a heading, when you edited a note.
• A new, empty note no longer shows that other notes refer to it.
• Various fixes and improvements.

### 1.0.11 — 2026-09-17

This update makes formatting from the toolbar easier.

• Tap a formatting button again (bold, italic, strikethrough, highlight, code) to continue in plain text.
• In a code block, Return on an empty line at the end of the block takes you out of it.
• The open note is now saved as soon as you leave SteelNote.
• Fixes a fault that, in certain conditions, could lose the text of a new note left open.
• Sync between your devices is more reliable.
• Various fixes and improvements.

## Apps similar to SteelNote

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [markdown notes - Smolpad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/id6792438749) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Productivity |
| [Reflect Open](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reflect-open/id6787385615) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [Metis: Markdown Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metis-markdown-notes/id6785268461) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [Harbor Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harbor-notes/id6788795948) | 5.0 (4) | Free | Productivity |
| [Tertiary Markdown](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tertiary-markdown/id6782659815) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [PrivacyNotes - Zero Knowledge](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacynotes-zero-knowledge/id6785958812) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Productivity |

## More apps by Claude Bezeaud

- [Effects Studio](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/effects-studio/id780467456)
- [Scopit](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scopit/id6752564453)
- [Exiflow](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exiflow/id6759974403)
- [PixelAuth](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelauth/id6760254596)
- [Soothy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soothy/id6760940274)
- [Trustypic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trustypic/id6761991482)

All apps by Claude Bezeaud: https://appshunter.io/developer/500254221

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-14.*