Steno Notes vs Slate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Steno Notes
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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.
Slate
This app combines note-taking with a freeform drawing canvas. Easily add text, sketches, equations, and more using simple commands. Enjoy a distraction-free, dark design optimized for Apple Pencil.
- Text, headings, lists
- Tables and charts
- Math equations (LaTeX)
- Images, audio, files
- Freeform canvas
- Apple Pencil support
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Notes and canvas, beautifully combined. Slate is where writing meets drawing. Capture ideas in text, sketch them on canvas, or do both — all in one minimal app. POWERFUL BLOCKS Add anything with a simple "/" command: - Text, headings, lists - Tables and charts - Math equations (LaTeX) - Images, audio, files - Freeform canvas INFINITE CANVAS Draw without limits. Pen, pencil, brush, shapes, colors — everything you need to visualize your thoughts. DARK & MINIMAL Pure black design. Zero distractions. Just you and your ideas. APPLE PENCIL READY Pressure sensitivity. Palm rejection. Natural drawing experience. Think. Write. Draw. All in Slate.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Slate at none against Steno Notes's 4. Slate also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Steno Notes's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price 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
Both are free to download. Steno Notes sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Slate asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Steno Notes | Slate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mikail Kraft | Nagarjuna Reddy Bhimavarapu |
In-app purchases
Steno Notes
- Tip Jar (Small)$0.99
- Tip Jar (Medium)$2.99
- Steno Complete$4.99
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- Steno Tip (Large)$4.99
Slate
No in-app purchases









