Comparison

Intent Note vs Vessel

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

Head to head
About

Intent Note

Capture thoughts and intentions quickly with a focus on what matters. This app helps you avoid distractions by setting intentions before device use and offers instant note-taking with smart tagging and review features. It provides a calm, private experience designed to help you remember why you're using your device.

Highlights
  • Set intentions before device usage
  • Instant, keyboard-free note-taking
  • Smart tagging and search operators
  • Calendar-aware agenda and natural language creation
  • Review sessions with a reels-like interface
  • Lock screen widgets for intentions and notes
  • Daily streak building for intentions
Read full description

- Set an intention, capture notes fast, and gently review what matters. - Intent Note is perfect for those who want to retain meaningful information fast without  being overwhelmed by unnecessary info cluttered in most note-taking and to-do apps. Set an intention before you scroll—capture notes fast and review them when it matters. Intent Note pairs one‑tap digital and off-screen intentions with focus‑friendly widgets and a calendar‑aware agenda so you remember why you picked up your phone—and put it down sooner. Features & Benefits - Set an intention before device usage. Wanted to just check your email?  Take a moment to declare that and avoid autopilot behavior afterwards. - Intentions can also be goals that are obtainable but also slightly challenging. Afterwards, log what you noticed and use it as motivation during the next intention. - Instant notes: Launch to autofocus; press Return to save—no keyboard flicker. - Smart tagging & search: Inline #tags, auto date; operators #tag, @date, ! star. - Filters that fit your day: All, Today, Starred, and sort by Tags! - Review Session: Scroll through favorited notes in a reels-like fashion! - Calendar‑aware agenda: “In 2h” and “tomorrow 9a” labels; natural‑language create. - Helpful summaries: Choose when to receive a summary of the day ahead and what to look forward to tomorrow! - Widgets: Lock Screen widgets for Intentions and one note of your choosing! - Delightfully calm: Liquid‑glass cards on device running iOS 26, soft haptics, subtle animations on note review completion - Streaks: Build a daily streak for Intentions with a 1×/week skip grace. - Controls that respect you: Summary time, streak grace, review cadence, optional iCloud sync, toggle. Trust & Privacy - Private by design: No ads. - Minimal analytics: Opt‑in only; collects a small set of non‑identifying events to improve experience to capitalize on user-favorite features. Requirements & Permissions - Requires iOS 17 or later. - Optional: Calendar access for agenda and event creation; notifications for summaries and reminders. Download Intent Note, set your first Intention, and capture your next thought in seconds! Terms of Use: https://quixoteapps.github.io/intentnote-site/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://quixoteapps.github.io/intentnote-site/privacy/

About

Vessel

Features
Read full description

Vessel is a calm place to catch a thought before it disappears. Capture a thought in the moment Write in the capture circle, save with a swipe, or use voice dictation when typing isn’t convenient. Long press to choose a category. Make sense of what you’ve collected Browse your Library, search, filter, and sort thoughts, and explore the connections between them in Space. Archive, restore, or move thoughts to Trash when you need to. Return at the right time Review selected thoughts in a focused, swipeable view. Create local reminders for a thought or optionally enable Thought Resurfacing to rediscover past ideas. Keep control of your data Vessel is an offline-first app. Export selected thoughts as a Markdown vault or copy them as plain text. Optional usage analytics help improve Vessel. They never include note contents, searches, or anything you write, and can be changed at any time in Settings.

Screenshots

Intent Note4 screens
Vessel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Vessel at none against Intent Note's 2. Vessel also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price 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

Both are free to download. Intent Note sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Vessel asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Intent Note ships an update every 2 weeks, Vessel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Intent Note versus Vessel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIntent NoteVessel
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB69 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominick GonzalezJunmin Kim

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Intent Note

Subscriptions1
  • Intent Note Pro$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$49.99
None

Vessel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Intent Note free?
Intent Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vessel free?
Vessel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Intent Note or Vessel have ads?
Neither Intent Note nor Vessel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Intent Note or Vessel?
Intent Note ships an update every 2 weeks, and Vessel every 4 days. Most recently, Intent Note was updated on October 19, 2026 and Vessel on October 24, 2026.

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