Steno Notes vs Koe

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.

Koe is a voice-first journal for capturing thoughts before they disappear. Speak and watch your words turn into a live transcript, add a quick title if you want, and save everything into a clean daily log you can browse later. Unlike traditional voice memo apps, Koe treats the transcript as the product - not the audio file. With Koe you can: - Start recording in one tap - See a live transcript as you speak - Keep entries organized automatically by day - Add an optional title to each note - Share transcripts anywhere - Record from iPhone or Apple Watch No account. No subscription. No built-in AI. Just a fast, lightweight way to get thoughts out of your head and into a readable journal. Your entries stay local to your device.