Comparison

Need List vs Maho Notes

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

Head to head
About

Need List

Features
Read full description

Looking for an easy-to-use inventory app? NeedList lets you build your own structure — create categories, subcategories, items and invoices just the way you like!  Customize colors, priorities, and layouts to suit your needs. Plus, printing and organizing your lists has never been easier.

About

Maho Notes

A markdown-based note-taking app that prioritizes user control and data privacy. Notes are stored as plain .md files, with options for local storage or syncing via iCloud or GitHub. It offers advanced search capabilities and beautiful rendering of markdown content.

Highlights
  • Plain .md file storage
  • iCloud and GitHub sync options
  • On-device semantic search
  • Full CommonMark + GFM support
  • KaTeX math and Mermaid diagrams
  • Hierarchical organization with vaults and collections
Features
Read full description

Maho Notes is a markdown-based note-taking app for people who care about their words — and want to keep them. Every note is a plain .md file on your device. No proprietary format, no vendor lock-in, no servers you don't control. Sync through your own iCloud, your own GitHub repo, or keep notes purely local — your choice. FREE, NO STRINGS Maho Notes is completely free. Every feature is included — no subscription, no paywall, no ads, no account to create. If the app earns a place in your workflow, there's an optional tip jar in Settings. Tipping unlocks nothing; it just says thanks. A NOTES APP THAT SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE Full multilingual support, including search across English, 中文 (Traditional Chinese), 日本語 (Japanese), and 한국어 (Korean) — powered by a CJK-aware tokenizer that actually understands word boundaries in each language. Add furigana to Japanese kanji, Zhuyin to Mandarin, Tâi-lô to Taiwanese, or readings to Korean — all with one simple syntax: {漢字|ふりがな}. THREE WAYS TO SEARCH • Keyword search — fast SQLite FTS5 across every note • Semantic search — on-device vector embeddings find ideas, not just words • Hybrid — both, fused into one ranked list Models run entirely on-device. Nothing about your notes leaves your hardware. WRITTEN IN MARKDOWN, RENDERED BEAUTIFULLY • Full CommonMark + GitHub Flavored Markdown • KaTeX math equations • Mermaid diagrams • Syntax-highlighted code blocks • Ruby annotations for any language • Image and asset embedding • Tables, task lists, footnotes ORGANIZE YOUR WAY Vaults hold collections. Collections hold notes. Drag-and-drop reordering, custom icons and colors, hierarchical sub-collections, and per-collection ordering — all stored in plain YAML you can read. • iCloud — seamless across your Apple devices • GitHub — version your notes as a private repo, sync through your own account using GitHub's official Device Flow login (no third-party server in the middle) • Device-only — keep everything offline Conflicts get clearly-named files (note.conflict-DeviceName.md), never silent overwrites. UNIVERSAL APP One free download covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Optimized layouts for each: a focus-friendly stack on iPhone, a three-column workspace on iPad and Mac, with the same vault wherever you are.

Screenshots

Need List4 screens
Maho Notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Need List at none against Maho Notes's 3. Need List also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Maho Notes sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Need List asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Need List ships an update every 3 weeks, Maho Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Need List versus Maho Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeed ListMaho Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmanuel LunaKuo-Chuan Pan

In-app purchases

None

Need List

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Maho Notes

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is Need List free?
Need List is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Maho Notes free?
Maho Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Need List or Maho Notes have ads?
Neither Need List nor Maho Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Need List or Maho Notes?
Need List ships an update every 3 weeks, and Maho Notes every 3 months. Most recently, Need List was updated on October 30, 2026 and Maho Notes on November 13, 2026.

Other comparisons