FSNotes vs *scratch*
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FSNotes
A fast, modern notes manager for macOS and iOS that uses plain text Markdown files. It's designed for speed and keyboard shortcuts, allowing for seamless iCloud syncing and support for images, code blocks, and math.
- Plain text Markdown notes
- Fast launch and operation
- Keyboard shortcuts
- iCloud syncing
- Markdown preview
- Image and code block support
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FSNotes is a fast, modern notes manager for macOS and iOS. Write and organize your notes in pure Markdown with full control over your files. All notes are stored as plain text on disk, so your data stays open, portable, and future-proof. FSNotes is built for speed. It launches instantly, stays lightweight, and works smoothly even with tens of thousands of notes. Designed for keyboard lovers, it lets you capture ideas and find information in seconds using powerful shortcuts. Sync seamlessly via iCloud Drive, preview Markdown, work with images, code blocks, diagrams, and math — all in a clean, distraction-free interface. Fast. Open. Keyboard-driven.
*scratch*
Quickly jot down notes, phone numbers, or directions on the go. This simple scratchpad app requires no sign-in or cloud storage, offering a straightforward way to capture information instantly. Supports plain text and basic Emacs org mode markup.
- Instant note-taking
- Plain text support
- Checkbox lists
- Share to other apps
- Save to Files
- Emacs org mode markup
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You're on the go. Someone's giving you directions, or a phone number, name of a restaurant... you need to write it down now, quickly! No time to create new contact, or a note, a file, or waste time on additional taps, bring up keyboard... You just need to write it somewhere right now. *scratch* is a simple scratch pad. • No bells or whistles, just a simple area to quickly jot something down. • Launch *scratch* and write. • Quickly create lists or checkboxes. • All plain text. • Share to other apps or save to Files as an org file (plain text). • No cloud, account, sign-in, or social required. Bonus: Emacs org mode lovers, you can use lightweight org markup like headings, plain lists, numbered lists, and checkboxes.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: *scratch* at 100% against FSNotes's 66%. *scratch* also leads on update cadence (daily vs fortnightly) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). FSNotes's advantage is chart position (#169 vs unranked) and ratings volume (86 vs 27). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
FSNotes costs $4.99 and *scratch* $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
*scratch* holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 86 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of FSNotes's written reviews are positive against 100% of *scratch*'s.
FSNotes ships an update fortnightly, *scratch* daily. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FSNotes | *scratch* |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (86 ratings) | 4.9 (27 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 65.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 86 — better | 27 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #169 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Oleksandr Hlushchenko | Xenodium Ltd. |
Customer experience
FSNotes
*scratch*
In-app purchases
FSNotes
No in-app purchases
*scratch*
No in-app purchases









