# Zavala vs Fax Machine

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zavala at none against Fax Machine's 3. Zavala also leads on ads (none vs shown). Fax Machine's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fax Machine sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Zavala asks for nothing beyond the download.

Zavala ships an update every 2 weeks, Fax Machine weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zavala | Fax Machine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zavala/id1546457750/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **70** | — |
| Positive reviews | 87.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vincode, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434335357) | [Danut- Ionel Bogdan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1837008829) |

## 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

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 🚀 Fast and lightweight
- 🌟 Excellent outliner functionality
- 🆓 Free and open source
- ✨ Elegant and clean design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues reported
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Glitchy behavior
- 🐛 Formatting issues
- 🐛 Incompatible iCloud database

**Reported bugs**

- Broken sync between iPhone and Mac
- iCloud database incompatibility
- Unable to format using toolbar
- Lost outline after update
- Sidebar not available

**Requested features**

- Continue releasing macOS builds for older versions
- Legacy database option for iOS apps
- Cross-platform support
- Ability to change tag and outline list order manually
- Support for hiding notes


### Fax Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fax-machine-send-pdf/id6751821013)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Annually All Access | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro Annual | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zavala free?

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

### Is Fax Machine free?

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

### Do Zavala or Fax Machine have ads?

Fax Machine shows ads; Zavala does not.

### Which is updated more often, Zavala or Fax Machine?

Zavala ships an update every 2 weeks, and Fax Machine weekly. Most recently, Zavala was updated on November 3, 2026 and Fax Machine on November 5, 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.*