# Zettel vs MindCastle

The clearest difference is price: MindCastle at Free against Zettel's $2.99. Zettel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

MindCastle is free to download; Zettel costs $2.99 up front. MindCastle sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.29 per month. Zettel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Zettel ships an update monthly, MindCastle every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 5, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zettel | MindCastle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zettel-quick-notes/id6748525244/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6** | — |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 7 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Moritz Weichart](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826067303) | [Code Maxima](https://appshunter.io/developer/1737735058) |

## What reviewers say

### Zettel

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

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


### MindCastle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindcastle/id6758439688)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.29 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $10.99 | per year |
| Reset Password | $0.99 | one-time |
| Save Password | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zettel free?

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

### Is MindCastle free?

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

### Do Zettel or MindCastle have ads?

Neither Zettel nor MindCastle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zettel or MindCastle?

Zettel ships an update monthly, and MindCastle every 3 weeks. Most recently, Zettel was updated on October 5, 2026 and MindCastle on October 5, 2026.

---

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