Shortnotes vs Notepad Markdown
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shortnotes
Capture and organize small pieces of information like codes, names, or license plates. Access your quick references across all your Apple devices, with options to add tags, photos, and even import notes from your desktop.
- Simple note adding and deleting
- Attach images to notes
- Speech input for notes
- Organize notes in folders
- Filter notes by tags
- iCloud synchronization
- Today Widget and Apple Watch support
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Shortnotes is perfect for all the little stuff that is not a "real" note. Your colleague's name, license plate, codes, room numbers, medicine names etc. Just put them down in one place and access them on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Organize your notes in folders, attach tags and photos. View your favorite notes in the Today Widget. For pupils and students: now it's possible to prepare also large notes on your desktop computer and import them later in Shortnotes! Good luck ;-) Features: - Simple adding and deleting notes - Attaching images to the notes - Text formatting options - Create notes using speech input - Export as text file (.rtf) - Organize your short notes in folders - Changing the sort order of the notes - Favorites view - Filter notes by tags - Favorite notes are displayed in the App Widget (Today Extension) - iCloud-synchronisation. All of your notes are automatically synchronised between your devices like iPhone, iPad or Mac using iCLoud. Shortnotes Pro: - Import of the text files (.txt .rtf) - Favorite notes are displayed on your Apple Watch - Your purchase will help support the ongoing development of Shortnotes!
Notepad Markdown
Capture thoughts instantly with this lightweight notes app. It offers a distraction-free interface for quick drafting, supports markdown formatting for structured notes, and includes intuitive checklist creation. Seamless iCloud sync ensures your notes are available across all your devices.
- Lightning-fast note-taking
- Markdown formatting
- Intuitive checklist creation
- Seamless multi-device sync
- Distraction-free interface
- Quick drafting and editing
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# Quick Draft: Your Essential Notepad with Markdown Support Capture your thoughts instantly with this streamlined notes app for iOS. Quick Draft is the lightweight notepad designed to help you document ideas, compose messages, and organize tasks with unprecedented speed and simplicity. ## Lightning-Fast Note-Taking Turn fleeting thoughts into permanent records. Launch and start typing immediately with our distraction-free notepad interface. Create, edit, and manage notes on the go, then seamlessly share your content to any app with a single tap. ## Markdown-Powered Note Organization Elevate your notepad experience with intuitive markdown formatting. Quick Draft transforms simple text into beautifully structured notes, making it the perfect markdown companion for students, writers, and professionals alike. ## Intuitive Checklist Creation Manage tasks effortlessly within your notes: - Convert any line into an interactive checklist item - Tap to toggle completion status - Organize everything from shopping lists to project milestones in your notepad ## Seamless Multi-Device Sync Your notepad travels with you. Quick Draft's iCloud integration ensures your notes are instantly available across all your devices, providing a consistent markdown experience whether you're using iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Quick Draft: The essential markdown notepad that stays out of your way, letting you focus on capturing your thoughts. Also available for macOS - your complete notepad ecosystem for all devices!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Notepad Markdown at 86% against Shortnotes's 46%. Notepad Markdown also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Shortnotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Notepad Markdown sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Notepad Markdown holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notepad Markdown has 86 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Shortnotes's written reviews are positive against 86% of Notepad Markdown's.
Shortnotes ships an update every 2 months, Notepad Markdown fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shortnotes | Notepad Markdown |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (12 ratings) | 4.6 (86 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.7% of reviews | 85.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 12 | 86 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ilya Gorodnyanskiy | giddyapp |
Customer experience
Shortnotes
Notepad Markdown
Bugs and requests
Shortnotes
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Notepad Markdown
Reported bugs
12 issues- Data not synchronizing or being deleted/overwritten
- New pop-up on each load about buying premium version
- App prompts to purchase Pro every day
- iCloud syncing not working
- Dropdown pad disappears when using with PopClip
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- App crashes periodically, especially when syncing iCloud changes
- Dramatic loss of old notes upon new version installation
- Cursor positioning issues in bullet points on iPhone
- App crashes frequently
- Notes disappear after closing the app
- No synchronization with iPhone (works on iPad)
- iCloud sync not working anymore
Requested features
19 requests- Widget view with settings for font, size, and color
- Option to hide from dock
- Allow choosing file location
- Additional page and bullet point options
- Apple Watch app
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- Widget option to see part of the note
- More icon options for Mac menu bar
- Search feature
- Ability to have more than one draft
- Share extension for macOS and iOS
- Ability to swipe back and forth between pages
- Dark mode icon variant
- Option to hide word/character counts
- Support for multiple notes
- Less intrusive or disable-able opening animation
- URL schemes with basic x-callback-url
- Adding dates/due dates and alerts
- Option to choose font
- Format selected text to title/subtitle
In-app purchases
Shortnotes
- Shortnotes Pro$3.99
Notepad Markdown
- QuickDraft Pro iOS + iPadOS$4.99
- Quick Draft Pro$7.99
Questions
Is Shortnotes free?
Is Notepad Markdown free?
Which has better reviews, Shortnotes or Notepad Markdown?
Do Shortnotes or Notepad Markdown have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shortnotes or Notepad Markdown?
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