Comparison

TakeNote vs DropNest

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

Head to head
About

TakeNote

Capture ideas effortlessly with a distraction-free, minimalist note-taking app. It supports Markdown, organizes notes with folders and tags, and syncs across Apple devices. Optional local AI features enhance formatting and search.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free minimalist design
  • Full Markdown support with live rendering
  • Organize with Folders, Tags, and Inbox
  • iCloud sync across Apple devices
  • Private by design, no data collection
  • Optional local AI for formatting and search
Read full description

TakeNote is a fast, elegant, and distraction-free way to capture your ideas. Built exclusively for Apple platforms with SwiftUI and SwiftData, it feels right at home on macOS and iOS. Why TakeNote? • Beautifully simple: A clean, minimal design that lets your words take center stage. • Markdown first: Write naturally in plain text with full Markdown support and live rendering. • Stay organized: Quickly sort notes into Folders, Tags, or your Inbox. Star, move, and search with ease. • Syncs with iCloud: Your notes are instantly available across all your Apple devices. • Private by design: TakeNote collects nothing and tracks nothing. Your notes are yours alone. • Power features: Use AI-powered formatting and smart search (macOS) when you want a boost—always optional, always local first. Perfect for Writers, thinkers, students, developers, or anyone who wants a fast, modern, and private note-taking app that just works. TakeNote is the notebook you’ll actually want to use every day.

About

DropNest

Features
Read full description

DropNest is the simplest way to capture what matters and find it again with private AI. Drop in a thought, link, photo, file, or voice note. There is no account to create, no complicated folder system to maintain, and no subscription waiting around the corner. FREE FOREVER Every feature stays free. Optional tips are simply a way to support development—they never unlock features, raise limits, or change your experience. SIMPLE FROM THE FIRST DROP Save now and organize less. DropNest keeps capture fast, preserves your original material, and helps turn a growing collection into something useful. NO ACCOUNT REQUIRED Start immediately. DropNest does not ask you to register for a DropNest account. If you choose iCloud, it uses the Apple Account already signed in on your device. LOCAL BY DEFAULT, PRIVATE ICLOUD WHEN YOU WANT IT Your library is saved on your iPhone. Optional iCloud sync keeps a complete local copy while making your library available through your private iCloud storage. AI THAT CAN STAY ON YOUR IPHONE Choose Apple Intelligence on supported devices or download an on-device model. With either option, your questions, notes, and retrieved excerpts are processed on your iPhone and are not sent to a third-party AI or search service. ASK YOUR OWN LIBRARY Ask questions in natural language and get useful answers with links back to the source material, so you can verify every important detail. REVIEW WITHOUT THE CHORE Rediscover useful ideas, revisit recent material, and keep your personal knowledge current without maintaining a complex system. OPTIONAL CLOUD AI, ONLY WITH YOUR PERMISSION Advanced users may connect a compatible API using their own key. Before any disclosed data or provider credential is sent, DropNest identifies the recipient, destination, purpose, and data categories and requires an explicit choice. You can revoke permission at any time. Your notes belong to you. Your tools should make them more useful—not take control of them.

Screenshots

TakeNote4 screens
DropNest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: TakeNote at 3 against DropNest's 1. DropNest's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TakeNote ships an update every 5 weeks, DropNest monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
TakeNote versus DropNest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTakeNoteDropNest
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdam Drew成康 梁

In-app purchases

None

TakeNote

No in-app purchases

None

DropNest

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TakeNote free?
TakeNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DropNest free?
DropNest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TakeNote or DropNest have ads?
Neither TakeNote nor DropNest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TakeNote or DropNest?
TakeNote ships an update every 5 weeks, and DropNest monthly. Most recently, TakeNote was updated on October 16, 2026 and DropNest on October 15, 2026.

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