# Prism Notes vs SteelNote

The clearest difference is monetization model: Prism Notes at free against SteelNote's free with in-app purchases. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Prism Notes sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and SteelNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prism Notes | SteelNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prism-notes/id6754857785/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **32** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tommy Joseph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1850558223) | [Claude Bezeaud](https://appshunter.io/developer/500254221) |

## What reviewers say

### Prism Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prism-notes/id6754857785)

Capture thoughts and links quickly with a familiar texting interface. Organize ideas with AI-suggested tags and develop them across linked threads. Review notes to keep what matters and easily search by keyword or meaning.

**Highlights:** Texting-like note capture, AI-suggested tags, Threaded idea development, Review mode for notes, Sync across devices, Natural language reminders, Lock screen capture

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Unlock | $6.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Unlock | $12.99 | one-time |


### SteelNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steelnote-markdown-notes/id6765892871)

This app stores your notes as plain Markdown files on your device, ensuring you always own your data. It offers seamless syncing across Apple devices, instant search, and robust import options from other note-taking applications.

**Highlights:** Plain Markdown file storage, iCloud sync across Apple devices, Local full-text search, Import from multiple note apps, Link notes and see backlinks, Organize with folders and tags, Mark notes as private

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Founder | $44.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Prism Notes free?

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

### Is SteelNote free?

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

### Do Prism Notes or SteelNote have ads?

Neither Prism Notes nor SteelNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Prism Notes or SteelNote?

Prism Notes ships an update every 4 days, and SteelNote every 4 days. Most recently, Prism Notes was updated on October 13, 2026 and SteelNote on October 14, 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.*