# Metanote vs Stairstep

The clearest difference is rating: Stairstep at 5.0 against Metanote's 4.3. Stairstep also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Metanote's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and ratings volume (15 vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Metanote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per year. Stairstep asks for nothing beyond the download.

Stairstep holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Metanote has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Metanote ships an update every 2 weeks, Stairstep monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Metanote | Stairstep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metanote-notesdocsagenda/id6452550221/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stairstep/id6781493653/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 16 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [雪双 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698224749) | [Twarge LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781456673) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 (2)**

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


### Stairstep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stairstep/id6781493653)

View and inspect 3D models in STEP file format. Explore models with intuitive orbit, pan, and zoom controls, aided by a reference grid and scale bar. Access detailed geometry information including vertices, triangles, and dimensions.

**Highlights:** 3D model viewing, Orbit, pan, and zoom controls, Reference grid, Scale bar for size tracking, Geometry inspector, Dimension reporting

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Metanote free?

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

### Is Stairstep free?

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

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

Stairstep is rated higher. Metanote averages 4.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Stairstep averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Metanote or Stairstep have ads?

Neither Metanote nor Stairstep shows ads.

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

Metanote ships an update every 2 weeks, and Stairstep monthly. Most recently, Metanote was updated on November 3, 2026 and Stairstep on October 24, 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.*