Purnote vs Memos Local
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Purnote
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Notes you actually own. Purnote keeps every note as a plain Markdown file in your own iCloud Drive ā no database, no proprietary format, no lock-in. Every note is an ordinary .md file in a folder called purnote, so you can open, edit, search, back up or move your notes with any tool you like ā on your Mac, in any text editor, forever. Write a note on your phone and it is on your Mac a moment later. Edit it on your Mac and it changes on your phone while you are looking at it. If you ever stop using Purnote, you still have your notes. That is the whole idea. ⢠Free ā no subscription, no ads, no accounts ⢠Plain Markdown files, stored in iCloud Drive where you can see them ⢠Share from any app into Purnote ā save a post or link as a note, in the folder you choose ⢠Organise notes in folders, with #tags and Smart Folders ⢠Add photos to a note ā saved as plain files beside it, never locked in ⢠Create tables from the formatting bar ⢠Drag a note onto a folder to move it ⢠Formatting buttons above the keyboard ā headings, bold, italic, lists, checklists, quotes, links ā so you do not need to know Markdown to write it ⢠Notes are named after their first line, so the folder makes sense on your Mac ⢠Rendered notes with headings, tables, task lists and code blocks ⢠Full text search across every note ⢠Works without iCloud too, keeping notes on this iPhone Purnote collects nothing. There are no accounts, no analytics, and no servers other than your own iCloud.
Memos Local
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Memos Local is a simple, private memo app for ideas, tasks, and everyday notes. Write quickly, find anything with search, pin important notes, and archive what you want to keep out of the way. Everything is stored locally on your device, so the app works offline and does not require an account, subscription, ads, or a network connection. Highlights: ⢠Fast, focused memo writing ⢠Search across your notes ⢠Pin, archive, restore, and delete ⢠Local-first privacy ⢠12-language interface ⢠iPhone and iPad support Memos Local is completely free and built for quiet, reliable note-taking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Purnote at every 2 weeks against Memos Local's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Purnote ships an update every 2 weeks, Memos Local every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Purnote | Memos Local |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks ā better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad ā better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sasa Mitrovic | ē¶ åØ |
In-app purchases
Purnote
No in-app purchases
Memos Local
No in-app purchases









