Comparison

Carbon Notes vs Luminary AI

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

Head to head
About

Carbon Notes

Features
Read full description

Carbon is a markdown-focused note-taking app designed for seamless organization of your ideas, tasks, and knowledge. With powerful markdown support and AI-powered tools, Carbon transforms how you capture and develop your thoughts. Unlock one-tap AI for your notes: Use our keys for $20/mo or use your OpenAI, Claude, or Open Router API keys for $5 (one-time unlock) This app supports iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS KEY FEATURES: - Powerful Markdown Support: Write and format your notes with intuitive markdown syntax. Carbon provides real-time preview and styling for a distraction-free writing experience. - AI-Powered Assistance: Leverage AI to enhance your writing with smart tools that can summarize, expand, polish, translate, and transform your content with just a tap. - Intelligent Tagging System: Organize your notes with an advanced tagging system that automatically recognizes hashtags in your content and creates hierarchical tag structures. - Robust Search: Find exactly what you need with our powerful search engine that indexes note content, titles, and tags for lightning-fast results. - Complete Privacy: Your data belongs to you. Carbon supports end-to-end encryption to protect your sensitive notes with military-grade security. - Seamless iCloud Sync: Access your notes across all your Apple devices with reliable CloudKit synchronization that works silently in the background. - Clean, Customizable Interface: Focus on your writing with a distraction-free interface featuring multiple themes and typography options. - Export Flexibility: Share your notes in multiple formats including Markdown, Text, HTML, PDF, and JSON. - Deep Organization: Create a personalized knowledge base with nested tags, favorites, smart collections, and custom filters. - Distraction-Free Writing: Enter a focused writing state with Carbon's minimal interface and keyboard shortcuts. - Markdown Import/Export: Easily bring in existing markdown files or export your notes for use in other applications. - Version History: Never lose important changes with automatic versioning of your notes. - Customizable Themes: Choose from light and dark themes, or customize colors to match your style. - Secure Biometric Authentication: Protect your notes with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode authentication. CARBON IS PERFECT FOR: - Writers who need a clean environment for drafting and organizing their work - Students taking lecture notes and organizing course materials - Developers documenting projects and code snippets - Researchers collecting and connecting ideas - Professionals managing meeting notes and action items - Anyone looking to build a personal knowledge management system Carbon strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and power. The interface stays out of your way when you want to write, while offering powerful tools when you need them. Advanced features include batch operations, smart lists, custom AI prompts, note encryption, advanced search filters, and multiple export options to fit into any workflow. Your data is yours - Carbon is designed with privacy at its core. Your notes are stored locally and can be optionally encrypted and synced via iCloud. We never collect your notes or personal information. Whether you're capturing quick thoughts, writing detailed documents, or building a complete knowledge base, Carbon provides the tools you need to organize your digital life. Download Carbon today and experience the perfect balance of simplicity, power, and privacy in note-taking. PREMIUM FEATURES (available via subscription or one-time purchase): - AI-powered writing responses - OpenAI key support - Claude key support - Open Router key support Carbon respects your privacy and does not collect personal data or tracking information. Terms and Conditions: https://basicarcana.com/apps/carbon/legal Privacy Policy: https://basicarcana.com/apps/carbon/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Luminary AI

Read full description

Luminary AI is a private, on-device AI chat app. Every conversation runs locally on your iPhone using optimized machine learning models. Nothing is sent to the cloud. Choose from a curated library of compact AI models from leading open-source families including Llama, Gemma, Qwen, and more. Each model is optimized for Apple silicon, so you get fast, responsive conversations without an internet connection. KEY FEATURES • 100% On-Device: All inference runs locally. Your data stays on your phone. • Multiple Models: Browse, download, and switch between AI models to find the best fit. • No Account Required: Start chatting immediately. • Real-Time Performance: See tokens-per-second metrics and benchmark models on your hardware. • Conversation Management: Pin favorites, search across chats, and export conversations. • Device-Aware Recommendations: The app identifies which models run best on your specific iPhone. • Dark Mode: Full light and dark theme support. Luminary AI is designed for people who value privacy and want to explore what on-device AI can do without giving up their data to do it.

Screenshots

Carbon Notes4 screens
Luminary AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Luminary AI at none against Carbon Notes's 2. Carbon Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.2). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Carbon Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Luminary AI asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Carbon Notes versus Luminary AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCarbon NotesLuminary AI
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYMMVRebecca Despoiu

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Carbon Notes

Subscriptions1
  • Pro$19.991 Month
One-time1
  • AI Unlock$4.99
None

Luminary AI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Carbon Notes free?
Carbon Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Luminary AI free?
Luminary AI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Carbon Notes or Luminary AI have ads?
Neither Carbon Notes nor Luminary AI shows ads.

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