# Pastor vs Smolpad

The clearest difference is price: Smolpad at Free against Pastor's $1.99. Smolpad also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 8 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Pastor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Smolpad is free to download; Pastor costs $1.99 up front. Smolpad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Pastor asks for nothing beyond the download.

Smolpad holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Pastor ships an update every 8 months, Smolpad every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pastor | Smolpad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastor/id547894536/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smolpad-markdown-notes/id6792438749/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 30.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 1 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Markus Mehlau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1783144554) | [BaconWorks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783126115) |

## What reviewers say

### Pastor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastor/id547894536)

Securely store and manage your private information, including passwords and account details, directly on your device. Find what you need quickly with powerful search and sorting options. Import and export your data easily.

**Highlights:** Encrypted local storage, Face ID/Touch ID unlock, Offline functionality, Search and filter entries, Copy fields and open websites, Sort and find inactive entries, Import/export data (CSV/TSV)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smolpad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smolpad-markdown-notes/id6792438749)

This app offers a minimalist Markdown editor that stores your notes as plain .md files. It syncs via iCloud and allows for beautiful writing with syntax highlighting and task lists. Upgrade for unlimited notes, more sync options, and export features.

**Highlights:** Plain .md file storage, iCloud sync, Markdown syntax highlighting, Task list checkboxes, Folder organization and search, Trash and version history, Export to PDF/HTML (Pro)

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smolpad Pro | $1.49 | per month |
| Smolpad Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Smolpad Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pastor free?

Pastor costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Smolpad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pastor or Smolpad?

Smolpad is rated higher. Pastor averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Smolpad averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pastor or Smolpad have ads?

Neither Pastor nor Smolpad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pastor or Smolpad?

Pastor ships an update every 8 months, and Smolpad every 10 days. Most recently, Pastor was updated on November 1, 2026 and Smolpad on October 31, 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.*