Steno Notes vs Oscilla
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.
Oscilla
This application enables users to run advanced AI models directly on their Apple devices. It offers private, cloud-free interactions with features like real-time voice, memory, and web search. Analyze files and converse naturally without compromising data privacy.
- Local AI models
- Real-time voice conversations
- Built-in memory
- Web search integration
- File and image understanding
- Private by design
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Private AI. Built Around You. Oscilla brings local AI to your iPhone and Mac. Write, brainstorm, understand documents, and talk things through with AI models that run on your own device. Choose your models, make them your own, and build a workspace around the way you think. - Local AI — Download models and chat offline. - Voice conversations — Speak naturally and hear responses with Voice Mode. - Built-in memory — Keep useful context for more personalized conversations. - Projects — Bring related chats, instructions, and reference files together. - Personal Assistants — Create focused helpers with their own instructions and knowledge. - Web Search — Find current information with sources. - File and image understanding — Ask questions about documents, screenshots, and images with supported models. - OS Bridge — Chat from your iPhone while your Mac runs the model, including models your iPhone couldn’t run on its own. Your AI. On your devices. Under your control. Web Search requires internet access and setup. Features vary by device and model.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Oscilla at none against Steno Notes's 4. Steno Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. Oscilla asks for nothing beyond the download.
Steno Notes ships an update every 3 days, Oscilla weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Steno Notes | Oscilla |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.7 (32 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 92.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 32 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 89 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Mikail Kraft | Matthew David Fusco |
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
Oscilla
No in-app purchases









