# Zavala vs Metanote

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zavala at none against Metanote's 3. Zavala also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (88% vs 73%). Metanote's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Metanote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Zavala asks for nothing beyond the download.

Zavala holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zavala has 67 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Zavala's written reviews are positive against 73% of Metanote's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zavala | Metanote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zavala/id1546457750/reviews)** | [4.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metanote-notesdocsagenda/id6452550221/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **67** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **87.7% of reviews** | 72.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 18 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vincode, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434335357) | [雪双 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698224749) |

## What reviewers say

### Zavala

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zavala/id1546457750)

This app offers a modern approach to outlining, providing a full suite of features. It supports gestures, keyboard shortcuts, and multiple windows for efficient organization and content creation. Easily import and export in various formats, sync across devices, and customize your outlining experience.

**Highlights:** OPML Import & Export, Markdown Export, iCloud Syncing & Sharing, Nested Tags, Image Embedding, Keyboard Shortcuts, Drag and Drop

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Metanote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metanote-notesdocsagenda/id6452550221)

A privacy-focused offline editor that supports Org mode for writing, task management, and knowledge wikis. It offers real-time editing of rich content and seamless synchronization across devices.

**Highlights:** Privacy-first offline editor, Full Org mode support, Real-time rich content editing, Seamless synchronization, Integrated task management, Full-text search

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Metanote Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Metanote Premium | $12.99 | per year |
| One-time purchase | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zavala free?

Zavala is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Metanote free?

Metanote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Zavala or Metanote?

Zavala is rated higher. Zavala averages 4.8 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Metanote averages 4.5 from 11 ratings.

### Do Zavala or Metanote have ads?

Neither Zavala nor Metanote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zavala or Metanote?

Zavala ships an update every 2 weeks, and Metanote every 2 weeks. Most recently, Zavala was updated on September 25, 2026 and Metanote on September 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*