Comparison

Control for GitLab vs OctoNote

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

Head to head
About

Control for GitLab

Manage your GitLab projects on your iPhone or iPad from anywhere. Track projects, issues, merge requests, and code, all from your mobile device. Stay connected to your team and code even when you're on the go.

Highlights
  • Manage Projects, Issues, and Merge Requests
  • Browse Source Code and Commits
  • Full Team Management
  • View and Edit Branches and Tags
  • Markdown and Emoji Support
  • Secure with Passcode
Read full description

Control for GitLab is the best way to manage your GitLab projects on any iPhone and iPad device, anywhere at any time! Control for GitLab helps you to easily keep track of your GitLab projects while you are sitting on the train on your way back home, or when you are trapped inside a meeting with no chances of getting out! Features: - View and add Projects - View, add, edit and share Issues - Issue, Milestone and Merge Requests Transition Workflow - Search Issues by ID, title or labels - View and add Comments - Style any comment or description with markdown, HTML and emoji smileys - Calendar and Address Book Integration - Browse your Source Code - Full Team Management (add and remove team members) - View your Commits - View your Commit Diffs - View, protect and unprotect your Branches - View your Tags - View and add Labels - View, add, edit and share Milestones - View, add, edit and share Merge Requests - View, add, edit and share Code Snippets - View and use Favourite Filters - View and add Groups - View, add, edit, share SSH Keys - View, add, edit, share Hooks - Explore, fork and favourite public projects - Full Core Spotlight support - Full access the projects' Wiki - Protect your data with a personal Passcode - Connect to HTTP or HTTPS server GitLab is a growing community and as their API expands so will this app! We work extensively with the GitLab team to refine and expand the API in order to provide you the best GitLab mobile user experience ever. You will have everything under control! Follow the project on twitter: @gitlabcontrol For info on new releases, to suggest new features and to report bugs send an email to support@gitlabcontrol.com. Restrictions: Control for GitLab currently supports GitLab server version 9.x and higher. Disclaimer: Control for GitLab is not affiliated, endorsed, sponsored, or approved with or by GitLab Inc.

About

OctoNote

This app lets you write and store notes in markdown format, syncing them directly to your GitHub Gists. It offers beautiful rendering, code syntax highlighting, and version control for organized and accessible notes.

Highlights
  • Markdown writing and rendering
  • GitHub Gists integration
  • Code syntax highlighting
  • Live preview
  • Version history
  • Secret Gists (Premium)
  • Custom syntax themes (Premium)
Features
Read full description

OctoNote - GitHub Powered Markdown Notes THE POWER OF GITHUB MEETS BEAUTIFUL NOTE-TAKING OctoNote transforms the way developers and power users take notes by harnessing GitHub Gists—giving you cloud sync, version control, and universal access without the bloat of traditional note apps. Write in markdown. Save to GitHub. Access anywhere. MARKDOWN DONE RIGHT - Gorgeous rendering that makes your notes look like miniature websites - Full syntax highlighting for code blocks—perfect for developers - Seamless editing with a clean, distraction-free interface - Live preview to see your formatted notes as you write GITHUB GISTS INTEGRATION - Automatic sync to your GitHub profile—your notes live where your code lives - Edit anywhere through GitHub's web interface or OctoNote - Version history built in—never lose a previous version - Share effortlessly via Gist URLs with beautiful browser rendering - No vendor lock-in—your notes are standard markdown on GitHub BUILT FOR DEVELOPERS & POWER USERS Whether you're documenting code snippets, maintaining technical wikis, or organizing project notes, OctoNote gives you the tools you need: - Save meeting notes with code examples - Maintain personal knowledge bases - Share formatted documentation instantly - Keep research organized with tags and structure OCTONOTE PREMIUM Upgrade to unlock the full power of private note-taking: - Secret Gists that don't appear in public search - Custom syntax formatting themes (11+ beautiful options from Xcode Light to Atom One Dark) - Flair for your app icon - Private by default for sensitive work notes and personal journals SIMPLE. POWERFUL. YOURS. OctoNote doesn't try to be everything—it's focused on doing one thing exceptionally well: giving you beautiful, powerful markdown notes backed by the reliability of GitHub. No proprietary formats. No complicated export processes. Just your notes, in standard markdown, stored safely on GitHub and accessible from anywhere. Perfect for: - Software developers and engineers - Technical writers and documentation specialists - Students studying computer science - Anyone who loves markdown and wants their notes future-proof REQUIREMENTS OctoNote requires a GitHub account (free accounts work perfectly). All features—both standard and Premium—are available to users with any GitHub account tier. Download OctoNote today and transform the way you take notes.

Screenshots

Control for GitLab4 screens
OctoNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: OctoNote at none against Control for GitLab's shown. OctoNote also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 30%). Control for GitLab's advantage is ratings volume (260 vs 10) and rating (3.9 vs 3.7). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Control for GitLab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and OctoNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Control for GitLab holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Control for GitLab has 260 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 30% of Control for GitLab's written reviews are positive against 60% of OctoNote's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Control for GitLab ships an update every 6 weeks, OctoNote every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Control for GitLab versus OctoNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterControl for GitLabOctoNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (260 ratings) — better3.7 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews29.5% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings260 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.7.11 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperValerio MazzeoBase11 Studios Ltd

Customer experience

Control for GitLab

All ratings256 ratings
Positive73.0%
Neutral5.5%
Negative21.5%
Written reviews105 reviews
Positive29.5%
Neutral10.5%
Negative60.0%

OctoNote

All ratings10 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative30.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

Bugs and requests

Control for GitLab

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues with two-factor authentication
  • Inconsistent project and issue listing
  • Crashes and connection errors
  • Incorrect charging and purchase issues

Requested features

7 requests
  • Support for multiple GitLab instances
  • Ability to approve merge requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Better code viewing and editing capabilities
  • Support for GitLab CI/CD features
Show 2 more
  • Improved markdown rendering
  • Milestone management

OctoNote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Control for GitLab

One-time1
  • GitLab Control Pro$7.99
3 purchases

OctoNote

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$1.991 Month
  • Premium (Yearly)$11.991 Year
One-time1
  • OctoNote Premium - Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Control for GitLab free?
Control for GitLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OctoNote free?
OctoNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Control for GitLab or OctoNote?
Control for GitLab is rated higher. Control for GitLab averages 3.9 out of 5 from 260 ratings, while OctoNote averages 3.7 from 10 ratings.
Do Control for GitLab or OctoNote have ads?
Control for GitLab shows ads; OctoNote does not.
Which is updated more often, Control for GitLab or OctoNote?
Control for GitLab ships an update every 6 weeks, and OctoNote every 2 months. Most recently, Control for GitLab was updated on November 6, 2026 and OctoNote on November 2, 2026.

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