# Zettel vs AI Notes

The clearest difference is price: AI Notes at Free against Zettel's $2.99. AI Notes also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Zettel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (89% vs 67%). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

AI Notes is free to download; Zettel costs $2.99 up front. AI Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Zettel asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Zettel against 4.8 for AI Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 6 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Zettel's written reviews are positive against 67% of AI Notes's.

Zettel ships an update monthly, AI Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zettel | AI Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zettel-quick-notes/id6748525244/reviews) | [4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-notes-byok-transcription/id6749819451/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **88.9% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#190** | — |
| Size | 7 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Moritz Weichart](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826067303) | [Alpine Cloud Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/1832283826) |

## What reviewers say

### Zettel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zettel-quick-notes/id6748525244)

**Currently charting:** #190 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app offers a minimalist note-taking experience, focusing on a single, full-screen note at a time. It features a unique swipe-to-clear gesture with haptic feedback and simple tag functionality for easy organization. Notes are saved as plain Markdown files for versatile use.

**Highlights:** Single full-screen note interface, Swipe-to-clear gesture with haptic feedback, Simple hashtag tagging system, Plain Markdown file export, Works with Files app, Dark mode support

**In-app purchases:** none


### AI Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-notes-byok-transcription/id6749819451)

This app transforms audio and video files into text transcripts and AI-generated summaries. It prioritizes user privacy with local processing options and supports over 99 languages. Choose from various AI models and summary styles for actionable insights.

**Highlights:** Local and cloud processing, 99+ language support, AI-generated summaries (4 styles), Speaker diarization with ElevenLabs, Multiple AI provider options, Background processing, Import from various sources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Summary Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zettel free?

Zettel costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AI Notes free?

AI Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Zettel or AI Notes?

Zettel and AI Notes are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 6 ratings respectively.

### Do Zettel or AI Notes have ads?

Neither Zettel nor AI Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zettel or AI Notes?

Zettel ships an update monthly, and AI Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Zettel was updated on September 8, 2026 and AI Notes on September 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*