# graynotes vs Ember

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: graynotes at none against Ember's 3. graynotes also leads on iOS requirement (18.5 vs 26.0). Ember's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ember sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. graynotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for graynotes against 5.0 for Ember. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ember has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

graynotes ships an update every 9 days, Ember every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | graynotes | Ember |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/graynotes-hold-that-thought/id6749127202/reviews) | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-markdown-notes/id6761983097/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 11 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.5** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adam Van Lente](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828851960) | [Rene DeAnda](https://appshunter.io/developer/1414957609) |

## What reviewers say

### graynotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/graynotes-hold-that-thought/id6749127202)

A minimalist notes app designed for speed and simplicity. Capture thoughts instantly with voice or text, and enjoy automatic syncing across devices. Its clean interface supports light and dark modes, making it ideal for quick ideas, lists, and reminders.

**Highlights:** Smart voice notes with AI scheduling, Instant text capture, Automatic iCloud sync, Clean light and dark mode design, Action Button integration for reminders, Cross-device compatibility

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ember

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-markdown-notes/id6761983097)

A fast and organized workspace for writing Markdown notes, storing PDFs, diagrams, and voice memos. It offers a vault for reusable prompts and syncs across Apple devices. Start for free with full editor access.

**Highlights:** Rich Markdown editor, Inline PDF and image support, Reusable prompt vault, Daily notes, folders, and tags, Instant search functionality, Private iCloud sync, Share Extension

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ember Pro Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Ember Pro Annual | $34.99 | per year |
| Ember Pro Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is graynotes free?

graynotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ember free?

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

### Which has better reviews, graynotes or Ember?

graynotes and Ember are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 6 ratings respectively.

### Do graynotes or Ember have ads?

Neither graynotes nor Ember shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, graynotes or Ember?

graynotes ships an update every 9 days, and Ember every 2 weeks. Most recently, graynotes was updated on November 8, 2026 and Ember on October 31, 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.*