Comparison

Steno Notes vs Penso Notes

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

Head to head
About

Steno Notes

Features
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Steno is a fast, distraction-free Markdown editor designed for focused, beautiful writing. Built natively for Apple platforms with CloudKit, Steno keeps your documents automatically synced across your devices—without ads, tracking, or external servers. Why Steno? • Seamless iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, and iPad • Native performance—no bloat, no lag, just fast • Clean typography with powerful, design-forward customization • Sub-block-level references for linking directly to the exact passage you mean • Deep system integration—Handoff, Spotlight, Siri, and Widgets • Customizable PDF export for polished sharing • No data collection, no AI. Your documents stay on your device and in iCloud • All documents stored as plain Markdown files Whether you're drafting essays, making lists, or capturing ideas, Steno combines speed, clarity, and privacy in a focused writing environment.

About

Penso Notes

Read full description

Penso Notes: Write freely. Find easily. Never lose a brilliant idea again. Penso Notes transforms how you capture, organise, and rediscover your thoughts. Whether you're planning your day, tracking goals, or preserving memories, this powerful digital journal adapts to your life. Why Choose Penso Notes? - Bullet Journaling Perfected:Inspired by Ryder Carroll's proven Bullet Journal and Rapid Logging Methods, enhanced for the digital age. - Multimedia Memory Keeping:Add formatted text, photos, voice and camera recordings. - Multiple Journals, One App: Keep diaries for work, personal life, travel, or projects. - Find Anything Instantly: Search by text, tags, dates, or even bullets. Smart Organisation - Customisable bullets for quick scanning of tasks, notes, and events - Note Colours, tags and categories - Day dividers with mood and weather tracking - Priority highlighting and reactions - Calendar integration for events and reminders - Quick swipe gestures for migration and scheduling - Customisable themes and stickers Privacy You Can Trust Your thoughts are yours alone. Secure diary locking, private keys, and on-device storage mean your personal information stays personal. Perfect For: - Professionals managing projects and ideas - Creatives capturing inspiration - Anyone wanting better life organisation - Students organising research and deadlines - Bullet journal enthusiasts going digital Key Features: - Text, audio, photo, video, and file entries - Cross-journal search and tags - Customisable bullets and colour coding - Integrated Calendar and reminders - Multiple diary support - Mood and day dividers - Privacy controls - Beautiful themes and stickers From Scattered to Organised Stop losing important thoughts across sticky notes, random apps, and forgotten notebooks. Penso Notes creates one trusted space where every idea, plan, and memory has its place. Join thousands worldwide who trust Penso Notes to stay organised and keep ideas safe. Ready to Transform Your Thinking? Download Penso Notes today and experience the perfect blend of creative freedom and digital organisation.

Screenshots

Steno Notes4 screens
Penso Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Penso Notes at none against Steno Notes's 4. Penso Notes also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). Steno Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads and device support 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. Steno Notes sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Penso Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Steno Notes ships an update every 2 days, Penso Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Steno Notes versus Penso Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSteno NotesPenso Notes
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB122 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMikail KraftSuchitra Enterprise

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Steno Notes

One-time4
  • Tip Jar (Small)$0.99
  • Tip Jar (Medium)$2.99
  • Steno Complete$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Steno Tip (Large)$4.99
None

Penso Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Steno Notes free?
Steno Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Penso Notes free?
Penso Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Steno Notes or Penso Notes have ads?
Neither Steno Notes nor Penso Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Steno Notes or Penso Notes?
Steno Notes ships an update every 2 days, and Penso Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Steno Notes was updated on September 7, 2026 and Penso Notes on September 19, 2026.

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