Comparison

Steno Notes vs Hivecard

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

Hivecard

Features
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Prepare a focused multi-hive visit from real inspection records, keep each stop’s context visible, and save a shareable account of what you checked. HOW IT WORKS 1. Open Rounds, name the visit, add your own purpose and select the hives to include. 2. Prepare the round to freeze the latest two recorded inspections for each hive. Missing measurements stay unknown, and different mite-count methods are not compared. 3. Work through each stop, add a visit note, and mark it checked or skipped. Resume later, share the field record, or delete the round without changing hive inspections. Hive profiles, inspections, apiaries, harvests, treatment logs, feeding, queen records, trends, inspection schedules and references remain available. WHAT TO KNOW Field rounds are planning and recordkeeping tools. A checked stop does not create a detailed inspection or verify colony health. No diagnosis or treatment instruction is generated. Records dated after preparation are excluded, and snapshots do not silently change when inspections change. iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

Steno Notes4 screens
Hivecard3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Steno Notes at Free against Hivecard's $0.99. Steno Notes also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 days). Hivecard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On 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

Steno Notes is free to download; Hivecard costs $0.99 up front. Steno Notes sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Hivecard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Steno Notes ships an update every 3 days, Hivecard every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
Steno Notes versus Hivecard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSteno NotesHivecard
PriceFree — better$0.99
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size89 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMikail KraftRobert Corbin

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

Hivecard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Steno Notes free?
Steno Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hivecard free?
Hivecard costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Steno Notes or Hivecard have ads?
Neither Steno Notes nor Hivecard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Steno Notes or Hivecard?
Steno Notes ships an update every 3 days, and Hivecard every 8 days. Most recently, Steno Notes was updated on October 26, 2026 and Hivecard on October 25, 2026.

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