Comparison

Focus Note vs Metion

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Focus Note

Organize notes hierarchically with text folding, color coding, and multi-page structures. Enhance writing with LaTeX formulas, icons, and Markdown support. Share notes in various formats and customize themes for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Hierarchical note organization
  • Text folding and rainbow notes
  • LaTeX mathematical formulas
  • Markdown and shortcut keys
  • Multi-page note structure
  • Flash highlights for reciting
  • File sharing in multiple formats
Features
Read full description

Focus Note is suitable for learning and writing reading notes, article, diaries and other scenes. It has three characteristics: exquisite and concise, powerful function, and clear note structure. ----- It mainly includes the following functions: #The ability to organize notes by hierarchy: * Text folding: Clicking the paragraph symbols H1, H2, and H3 respectively can help to fold paragraphs of different titles for easy outline reading and text management. * Rainbow notes: For quick distinction, you can choose different color series to modify the text color for different "H1" paragraphs. * Highlight: Focus Note provides 7 different highlight colors for highlighting * Multi-page note structure: Multiple pages in the notebook can be created and easily dragged to change the sort. It can be used to manage different notes chapters. * Bookmarks and links: Bookmarks can be created at key points, and links can be added anywhere in the notebook to jump back there. Of course, hyperlinks can also link to any URL. # Ultra-convenient note writing function * Mathematical formula: LaTeX is used in Focus note to input mathematical formulas. * Icon: Built-in eight sets of icons representing priority, focus, banner, symbol, progress, etc., so that you can mark with graphics. * Markdown and shortcut keys: You can use Markdown's syntax and keyboard shortcuts to improve the efficiency of note writing. * The functions that Focus note should have: references, to-do items, code blocks, bold, italic, underline, underline, superscript, subscript... # Other features * Flash Highlights: Text will be hidden or displayed after using them, which provides a great reciting experience. * Share: Support sharing files with the file extension ".note", Markdown, text, images, PDF files. * Multiple themes: Four different themes are available and can be easily replaced with one click. * Home screen shortcut: You can put a frequently used notebook on the mobile phone desktop, and click it to quickly start the notebook. ----- # Payment plan Some of the features of Focus Note, such as mathematical formulas and colorful notes, can be enjoyed after subscribing or purchasing the full version of the PRO. We offer the following two purchase options: * Yearly subscription: The starting price is $17.49 USD, and the automatic renewal will be made upon expiration. * Monthly subscription: The starting price is $1.99 USD, and the automatic renewal will be made upon expiration. At the same time, you can treat the developers of Focus Note to a cup of coffee to support the development of Focus Note. :-D However, this does not involve the purchase and unlocking of the PRO version. Supplemental subscription instructions * Yearly / Monthly subscription plan (starting price is $17.49/$1.99 USD). * After confirming the purchase, you will be paid through your iTunes account. * After the subscription expires, it will be automatically renewed at the same price and in the same subscription period as originally planned by default . To stop your subscription plan, you must cancel it at least 24 hours before expiration date of the current subscription plan. * You can cancel your subscription plan at any time, which can be done through the subscription settings of your personal iTunes account (Steps: Find the settings on your device, click iTunes and App Store > Apple ID > View Apple ID > Enter Password > Subscribe > Manage Application Subscriptions) > Click the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of the page. # Legal * For more information, please see: http://focusnote.com.cn/ * Privacy Policy: http://focusnote.com.cn/#/Privacy * Terms of Service: http://focusnote.com.cn/#/Terms # Question? Do you want to feedback ? We are willing to hear your opinions, criticisms, suggestions…Anything is ok! Email: Focus-Feedback@foxmail.com

About

Metion

This notebook tool prioritizes a superior writing experience using Markdown. It allows you to build knowledge bases, connect notes as networks, and offers a distraction-free Zen Mode. Data is stored freely in plain text files with built-in Git support for synchronization and version history.

Highlights
  • Markdown support
  • Knowledge base creation
  • Networked notes
  • Zen Mode writing
  • Open filesystem storage
  • Built-in Git sync
  • History versioning
Read full description

Metion is a notebook tool that focuses on the writing experience, uses Markdown as basic text syntax. ## Build Your Own Knowledge Base Metion 2.0 brings a new feature named "Knowledge Base", the plain text syntax, then becomes mindmap trees, or connected as a network... ## The Writing Experience is So Important Our goal is to create a great writing experience, specially for iPadOS, although it's not easy. Metion provides a relatively complete keyboard shortcuts support. After a keyboard connected, both iPad and iPhone can archive a huge improvement in writing experience. We also have redesigned the "Zen Mode" on iPad, a more focusing writing mode. It is very very beautiful, choosing a suitable background image, selecting the white noise you like in Zen Mode, and the irrelevant UI elements are hidden. Writing is a pleasure, writing is talking to the world, writing is your Zen. ## Data Freedom, Open Filesystem, Git Built-in Metion based on the open filesystem, no need to create another new format for storing data. An article is a plain text file, and the images in the article are also under a certain folder. Data freedom and open filesystems allow us to synchronize data across devices using iCloud or Git. If you have a higher requirement for data security, you can also make a backup very quickly by copying the entire folder (working directory). One more thing, Metion has a built-in support named "history version" that provides a little more reliability for your documents. **Also, if you know how to use Git, you can try Git to sync. Yes! We have the powerful Git as a built-in feature! ** ## Optimized for iPad Pro, Also for iPhone We tried the best to make Metion optimized for iPad Pro, when writing on iPad Pro by Metion, the iPad is a really more productive device. Metion is also optimized for the iPhone too. In recent years, most of the new iPhones have notch at the top of screen. Metion does not simply avoid the safe area, but makes a lot of technical efforts to apply every pixel on the screen as far as possible. If using the visual theme of "Dark", the notch sometimes look like disappeared, like the next generation of full-screen phone comes. ## The Exporting of Metion If using Metion to export as PDF, we suggest the theme of PDF can be set as "Printer" in Settings Panel. If there is a real printer connected in current local network, just print directly, it will be pretty when words on the real paper. Document in Metion can be exported as image, which is optimized for mobile device (iPhone). We can set text and QR-Code signature at the end of exported image. Send it to friends through some social Apps. The beautiful layout of text can highlight the value of your words. Metion can analyze the structure of current article automatically, then export it as "Mindmap" with one tap only. - - - - - - - - - - Privacy Policy: http://markeditor.com/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use: http://markeditor.com/page/terms.md

Screenshots

Focus Note4 screens
Metion4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Metion at 4.3 against Focus Note's 3.6. Metion also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 40%) and ratings volume (46 vs 15). Focus Note's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Focus Note sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Metion sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Metion holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 46 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Focus Note's written reviews are positive against 60% of Metion's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Focus Note ships an update every 3 weeks, Metion every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Focus Note versus Metion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocus NoteMetion
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (15 ratings)4.3 (46 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1546 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size246 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKiraku Tech Co., Ltd.Hangzhou Quanduan Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Focus Note

All ratings15 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative26.7%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative30.0%

Metion

All ratings46 ratings
Positive84.8%
Neutral4.3%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral14.0%
Negative26.0%

Bugs and requests

Focus Note

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Metion

Reported bugs

19 issues
  • Git sync not working
  • iCloud folder cannot be specified
  • Writing statistics not visible or crashing
  • Custom file sorting not working
  • New file creation bug (text pushed up)
Show 14 more
  • Hyperlinks only work with connected keyboard
  • Help documentation partially translated
  • PDF export formatting issues
  • App crashes when submitting bugs
  • iPhone gets hot and requires restart
  • App launches inconsistently, crashes, slow to switch folders
  • Undo function not supported, causes crash
  • App crashes on startup
  • Cannot open old documents (free version limit)
  • English input lacks auto-capitalization and spell check
  • Soft keyboard shortcut bar disappears
  • Character input issues causing extra spaces
  • Zen mode background color setting causes crashes
  • App crashes when trying to set Zen mode background

Requested features

35 requests
  • Optimize for phone usage
  • Add Windows version
  • Improve Git sync functionality
  • Allow specifying iCloud folder
  • Restore writing statistics feature
Show 30 more
  • Fix custom file sorting
  • Fix new file creation bugs
  • Improve hyperlink functionality on iPhone
  • Add Undo functionality
  • Fix app crashes on startup
  • Allow opening old documents
  • Improve English input (auto-capitalization, spell check)
  • Fix disappearing shortcut bar
  • Increase font size limit
  • Allow changing Zen mode background and text color
  • Fix PDF export formatting
  • Improve Russian translation
  • Simplify interface navigation
  • Improve interface glitchiness
  • Support existing markdown folders
  • Add more font choices
  • Fix character input issues
  • Increase maximum character limit
  • Add Dropbox or other cloud drive sync
  • Add password lock feature
  • Improve line spacing in Zen mode
  • Combine markdown preview and writing like Bear
  • Add floating TOC
  • Add dedicated preview button
  • Option to dilate interface scale
  • Add statistics for daily word count
  • Improve Zen mode text color
  • Add support for Chinese-to-English conversion
  • Add file system for recording information like Windows with graphical display and tags
  • Add statistics for word count

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Focus Note

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
  • 3 Mos. Subscription$3.993 Months
  • Yearly Subscription$17.491 Year
One-time3
  • 专注笔记 - 美式咖啡$0.99
  • 专注笔记 - 卡布奇诺$2.99
  • 专注笔记 - 一杯巨大的摩卡奶昔$3.99
3 purchases

Metion

Subscriptions2
  • 订阅公众号图片上传中转3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Subscribe Pro Extensions3 Days trial$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • Standard Edition (iOS+iPadOS)$17.99

Questions

Is Focus Note free?
Focus Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Metion free?
Metion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Focus Note or Metion?
Metion is rated higher. Focus Note averages 3.6 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Metion averages 4.3 from 46 ratings.
Do Focus Note or Metion have ads?
Neither Focus Note nor Metion shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Focus Note or Metion?
Focus Note ships an update every 3 weeks, and Metion every 2 weeks. Most recently, Focus Note was updated on September 10, 2026 and Metion on September 21, 2026.

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