Comparison

Do You Sidenote vs Smolpad

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

Head to head
About

Do You Sidenote

This messaging app helps busy individuals organize group chats with custom categories and individual calendars. It also features a global calendar for all events and itinerary planning for consecutive activities.

Highlights
  • Unlimited custom categories per group
  • Category-specific calendars
  • Global event calendar
  • Itinerary planning for consecutive events
  • Organized group conversations
Features
Read full description

Introducing Sidenote, the group messaging app that takes organization to the next level! With Sidenote, you can create unlimited custom categories in each group chat, keeping your chats organized and easy to navigate. Each category even has its own calendar for events and tasks, so you'll never miss a beat. But that's not all - Sidenote also features a global calendar that displays all of the events you're attending across all of your group chats. Say goodbye to the headache of trying to keep track of multiple events in multiple chats - Sidenote has got you covered. And for those busy weekends or vacations with friends and family, Sidenote allows you to create itineraries for consecutive events. Plan out your entire weekend or trip with ease, and keep everyone in the loop. Say goodbye to cluttered group chats and missed events - download Sidenote today and start organizing your conversations like a pro!

About

Smolpad

A minimalist Markdown editor that stores your notes as plain .md files, accessible across all your devices via iCloud. Offers beautiful writing tools and robust file management without bloat.

Highlights
  • Plain .md file storage
  • iCloud sync
  • Markdown syntax highlighting
  • Task list checkboxes
  • Folder organization and search
  • File version history
  • Menu bar app on Mac
Features
Read full description

Smolpad is a smol Markdown editor with respect for your files. Every note is a plain .md file you can open with any app, on any device, forever. Your files are your own. No database. No lock-in. No bloat. Just a tiny, fast home for your notes on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. WRITE IN MARKDOWN, BEAUTIFULLY • Syntax dims as you type, or hides away entirely with one tap • Task lists become real checkboxes. Checkboxes that check. • Headings, bold, italic, code, quotes, and tables, styled as you write • A formatting bar for common touches, plus full keyboard shortcuts • Pictures too: drag or paste one in, resize it by its corner, and it lives as a plain file beside the note YOUR FILES, ANYWHERE • Notes sync through your own iCloud Drive, included free • Open your notes folder in Finder or Files any time • Organize with folders, pins, and instant search • A Trash for deleted notes, and a history of every note's earlier versions • Find notes in Spotlight, and open them with Siri or Shortcuts • Your notes never leave your devices except to your own cloud SMOL ON PURPOSE • On the Mac, Smolpad lives in your menu bar, one hotkey away • Tear off a note into its own window when you want to stay a while • On iPhone and iPad, it opens fast and stays out of your way • Eight hand-picked fonts and a clean, quiet interface MAKE IT YOURS WITH SMOLPAD PRO • Unlimited notes (the free tier includes ten) • Dropbox, pCloud, or Google Drive sync, in a folder that belongs to you • Notepads: open any folder of Markdown files as its own notepad, an Obsidian vault or a Bear export among them • Export to PDF, HTML, or rich text, and print • Widgets on the Mac, iPhone and iPad, Lock Screen widgets on iPhone, and Smolpad on Apple Watch • Twenty-nine editor themes, from Tokyo Night to Catppuccin • Seventeen app icons and the full menu bar icon set Smolpad Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. The free tier is a real notes app, not a trial. Made by a smol team that believes plain text outlives everything. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://smolpad.com/privacy

Screenshots

Do You Sidenote4 screens
Smolpad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Do You Sidenote at none against Smolpad's 3. Do You Sidenote also leads on ratings volume (5 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). Smolpad's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Smolpad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Do You Sidenote asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Do You Sidenote against 5.0 for Smolpad. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Do You Sidenote has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Do You Sidenote ships an update weekly, Smolpad every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 4 level
Do You Sidenote versus Smolpad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDo You SidenoteSmolpad
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings5 — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB76 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarshTech, LLCBaconWorks, LLC

Customer experience

Do You Sidenote

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Smolpad

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Do You Sidenote

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Smolpad

Subscriptions2
  • Smolpad Pro$1.491 Month
  • Smolpad Pro7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Smolpad Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Do You Sidenote free?
Do You Sidenote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smolpad free?
Smolpad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Do You Sidenote or Smolpad?
Do You Sidenote and Smolpad are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Do You Sidenote or Smolpad have ads?
Neither Do You Sidenote nor Smolpad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Do You Sidenote or Smolpad?
Do You Sidenote ships an update weekly, and Smolpad every 10 days. Most recently, Do You Sidenote was updated on November 3, 2026 and Smolpad on November 6, 2026.

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