Comparison

Zettel vs NoteThing Planner

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

Head to head
About

Zettel

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
Read full description

Zettel - Quick Notes for iOS. Write. Swipe to tear. Done. Zettel brings the satisfying feeling of ripping paper to your iPhone. What makes it different: - One note at a time: Full screen. No tabs, no folders, no mess. Just you and your thoughts. - Tear to clear: Swipe from the edge and drag across the screen. Your note tears away with haptic feedback that actually feels real. - Tags that work: Type #anything and it becomes a tag. Find notes instantly without setting up complicated systems. - Your files, anywhere: Notes are plain Markdown files. Edit them in other apps, sync however you want, or just keep them local. Perfect for: - Quick thoughts - Meeting notes - Daily journaling - Project ideas Simple by design: - iPhone only (as it should be) - Works with Files app - Dark mode included - No account required - Zero tracking Built by someone who got tired of overcomplicated note apps. Sometimes the best tools are the simplest ones.

About

NoteThing Planner

This app combines notes, tasks, goals, and reminders into a single, focused experience. It offers a rich text editor, task management with flexible recurrence, habit tracking, and smart reminders. Enjoy a unified productivity toolkit across all your Apple devices with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Rich text and Markdown editor
  • Task management with recurring options
  • Habit and goal tracking
  • Smart reminders with quiet hours
  • Cross-device sync via iCloud
  • Home Screen widgets
  • Native Mac app
Features
Read full description

Notes, tasks, goals, and reminders — together in one beautiful app. NoteThing is the productivity toolkit that replaces four apps with one. Capture quick thoughts, stay on top of deadlines, track habits over time, and never miss a reminder — from a single focused experience that works the same on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. One purchase covers every Apple device you own. No subscription. No in-app purchases. No account to create. NOTES • Rich text editor with formatting toolbar • Full Markdown mode with live preview • Folders and color-coded tags for organization • Fast search across every note TASKS • Due dates with flexible recurrence (daily, weekly, monthly, custom) • Smart notifications: at time, 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 1 day before • Completed recurring tasks automatically create the next occurrence • Upcoming view rolls all your deadlines into a single timeline GOALS • Track habits daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly • Yes/No tracking or quantity goals (push-ups, miles, dollars saved) • Four display styles: checkbox, tally marks, streak counter, progress bar • Complete history with charts and momentum REMINDERS • Recurring schedules with the same flexibility as tasks • Built-in quiet hours so notifications never wake you at 2 a.m. • Pause and resume individual reminders without losing their schedule • Smart batching keeps you under the system's 64-notification limit WORKS EVERYWHERE • One Universal Purchase covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac • iCloud sync via your own Apple Account — never our servers • Home Screen widgets in three sizes • Native Mac app with keyboard shortcuts, multi-select, and file export • Family Sharing supported HONEST PRICING • Buy once, own forever • No subscriptions, ever • No in-app purchases or paywalled features • No account to create — just your Apple Account • No ads, no upsells, no nags • Free updates for the life of the app SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE Fully translated into English, French, French (Canada), German, Spanish, Spanish (Latin America), Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Swedish, Japanese, and Korean. PRIVATE BY DESIGN NoteThing does not collect or transmit any personal data. Your content lives on your device and — if you choose — in your private iCloud. There are no servers holding your content, no analytics SDKs, and no third-party trackers in the app. Stop juggling four subscriptions. Get the calm of a single tool that does everything you need, owned outright. NoteThing is the productivity app you'll actually use.

Screenshots

Zettel4 screens
NoteThing Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Zettel at free against NoteThing Planner's paid. Zettel also leads on ratings volume (6 vs 1). NoteThing Planner's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

Zettel costs $2.99 and NoteThing Planner $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NoteThing Planner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zettel has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zettel ships an update monthly, NoteThing Planner every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Zettel versus NoteThing Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZettelNoteThing Planner
Price$2.99$2.99
Rating4.8 (6 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander Moritz WeichartCore Dump Software LLC

Customer experience

Zettel

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%

NoteThing Planner

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

In-app purchases

None

Zettel

No in-app purchases

None

NoteThing Planner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Zettel free?
Zettel costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NoteThing Planner free?
NoteThing Planner costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Zettel or NoteThing Planner?
NoteThing Planner is rated higher. Zettel averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while NoteThing Planner averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Zettel or NoteThing Planner have ads?
Neither Zettel nor NoteThing Planner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zettel or NoteThing Planner?
Zettel ships an update monthly, and NoteThing Planner every 2 weeks. Most recently, Zettel was updated on November 5, 2026 and NoteThing Planner on October 31, 2026.

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