# Control for GitLab vs OctoNote

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Control for GitLab | OctoNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (260 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-for-gitlab/id654747119/reviews)** | [3.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octonote/id1433164731/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **260** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 29.5% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 28 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.7.11** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Valerio Mazzeo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620011571) | [Base11 Studios Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082229198) |

## What reviewers say

### Control for GitLab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-for-gitlab/id654747119)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GitLab Control Pro | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to access from mobile
- 👍 Nice and easy to use
- 👍 Great UI
- 👍 Helpful tool for quick code check

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't connect to server
- 🐛 Missing critical features
- 🔍 Lacks functionality compared to website
- 💸 Paywalled features
- 🔍 Poor performance on large codebases

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### OctoNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octonote/id1433164731)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium (Yearly) | $11.99 | per year |
| OctoNote Premium - Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*