Comparison

ZettelkastenNote vs Markflow

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

Head to head
About

ZettelkastenNote

Capture and connect ideas as small cards to build a growing web of knowledge. This app offers a distraction-free interface for organizing thoughts and creating structured insights. Your data remains private, stored locally or optionally in iCloud, with no tracking or ads.

Highlights
  • Capture ideas as atomic cards
  • Connect related ideas
  • Drag & drop reordering
  • Local-first data design
  • Optional iCloud sync
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Turn your knowledge into a growing asset. ZettelkastenNote is a card-based knowledge management app inspired by the Zettelkasten method — a system where you capture ideas as small cards and connect them to build a growing web of knowledge. # Organize Your Thinking - Capture ideas as atomic cards (Zettels) with notes - Group related ideas together - Turn scattered thoughts into structured insights # Discover Connections - See your knowledge as a link graph - Get automatic similar-Zettel suggestions (on-device AI) - Search by meaning, not just keywords - Skim recent notes in a timeline # Intuitive & Simple - Drag & drop to reorder freely - Swipe for quick access - Clean, distraction-free interface - Scan text from photos straight into your notes - Web links appear as rich cards with titles - Light and dark appearance # Privacy First - Local-first design - Your data stays on your device and (optionally) in your private iCloud - No tracking, no ads, no third-party data sharing # Sync Across Devices (Optional) - iCloud sync across all your Apple devices - Toggle sync on/off anytime in Settings - Works fully offline when sync is off # Perfect For - Capturing fleeting ideas before they disappear - Organizing what you learn from books and articles - Building a personal knowledge base over time - Collecting problem-solving insights Download free and start building your knowledge system today.

About

Markflow

This app allows you to open and read markdown files from various sources like Files, Mail, and Safari. It supports GitHub-flavored markdown, code syntax highlighting, and diagrams, with an integrated editor and a clean preview mode.

Highlights
  • Open .md, .markdown, .mdown files
  • GitHub-flavored markdown rendering
  • Syntax-highlighted code blocks
  • Mermaid diagram support
  • Markdown editing toolbar
  • Pinch to zoom
  • Export edited files
Read full description

The markdown reader you've been missing. Markflow opens .md files from Files, Mail, Safari downloads, or the share sheet and renders them properly. GitHub-flavored markdown, syntax-highlighted code, mermaid diagrams, tables, task lists, and more. Originals are never touched. Edits live in memory until you explicitly Save, Save as New File, or Share a copy. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Open any .md, .markdown, or .mdown file from any app • Read with a clean, native preview • Edit with a markdown toolbar above the keyboard. Bold, italic, headings, lists, links, images, code, quotes, all one tap away. • Pinch to zoom in both Preview and Edit • Export an edited copy via the system share sheet • Tap Create to start a new blank file, or "Welcome to Markflow" for a full feature tour WHAT IT RENDERS • Headings, lists, blockquotes, links, images • Syntax-highlighted code blocks • Mermaid flowcharts and diagrams • GitHub-flavored markdown tables • Task lists with checkboxes • Inline images (absolute URLs) PRIVACY Markflow makes zero network requests and collects zero data. No accounts. No login. No analytics. No tracking. No ads. The renderer is a sandboxed local file with a Content Security Policy that blocks all remote resources. Your files stay on your device. DESIGN Built native with SwiftUI and the Liquid Glass nav bar. Light and dark mode. Adaptive home screen. Stock Apple Human Interface Guidelines throughout. WHO IT'S FOR • Writers who keep notes in markdown • Developers reading READMEs and docs on the go • Anyone who's been emailed a .md and had nowhere to open it • People who want a markdown reader that does one thing well Open source. MIT licensed. github.com/madebysan/markflow

Screenshots

ZettelkastenNote4 screens
Markflow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Markflow at 5.0 against ZettelkastenNote's 3.0. Markflow also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). ZettelkastenNote's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. ZettelkastenNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Markflow asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Markflow holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZettelkastenNote ships an update every 5 days, Markflow fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and July 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
ZettelkastenNote versus Markflow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZettelkastenNoteMarkflow
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShoetsu KawasatoSantiago Alonso Alexandre

Customer experience

ZettelkastenNote

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Markflow

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ZettelkastenNote

One-time1
  • ZettelkastenNote Pro$0.49
None

Markflow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ZettelkastenNote free?
ZettelkastenNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Markflow free?
Markflow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZettelkastenNote or Markflow?
Markflow is rated higher. ZettelkastenNote averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Markflow averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do ZettelkastenNote or Markflow have ads?
Neither ZettelkastenNote nor Markflow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZettelkastenNote or Markflow?
ZettelkastenNote ships an update every 5 days, and Markflow fortnightly. Most recently, ZettelkastenNote was updated on September 9, 2026 and Markflow on July 7, 2026.

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