Comparison

HillNote vs WitNote

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

Head to head
About

HillNote

Features
Read full description

Hillnote is where you think. A local-first, markdown-native workspace that captures your work in AI-native formats - notes, plans, drafts, ideas, decisions. Built on plain markdown, stored on your device, paired with your desktop, and ready for the AI tools you already use. Built for builders, makers, writers, and small teams who think on the move and want their workspace to come with them. Write as you think, the way you think. A clean markdown editor designed for capture, not arrangement. A floating toolbar above the keyboard handles formatting; standard markdown shortcuts work out of the box. Quicknotes for everything in between. Tap + to capture an idea the moment it lands. Save and it's in your workspace; keep typing if you want to expand it. No friction between a thought and a file. Your thinking stays on your device. Every file lives locally as plain markdown. No rented database, no required account, no lock-in. Your work is yours from day one, and yours if you cancel. Free sync across iPhone, iPad, and desktop. The first 100MB syncs free -more than enough for years of notes. Capture on your phone, expand on your desktop, review anywhere. Talk to your knowledge base. Built-in chat reads your own files, edits them, creates new ones, and pulls context from your workspace. Upload images and have them read aloud. Auto mode picks the right model; switch manually when you want to. Supercharge your writing with Apple Intelligence. Native integration with Apple Intelligence writing tools - proofread, rewrite, reformat -via the AI button or text selection. Workspaces with all the context AI models need. Hillnote automatically generates context files (AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, document registries) so any AI tool you connect can navigate your workspace immediately - no setup, no plugins. Pairs with the agents you already work with. Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, Cowork, Claude Code - connect via local or cloud MCP, or point them at the workspace folder directly. Plain markdown means no exports, no conversions. They read and edit the same files you do. Carry your tools, not just your notes. Build small HTML tools - pomodoro timers, day counters, focus checklists, anything else - that travel inside your workspace. Pin them as widgets. Your tools live next to the work they support. A different model. We separate what's a service from what's yours. You subscribe to the workspace and pay for cloud features (expanded sync, frontier AI, publishing, routines, BYO key) only when you need them. Free accounts include limited premium model usage. Your data stays on your device as plain markdown, always canonical, always portable. Start free. Sync free. Stay local. Add cloud when you outgrow it. Download Hillnote and bring your thinking with you.

About

WitNote

This app allows you to paste Markdown from AI chats, preview it cleanly, and export it as an image, PDF, or Word file. It also offers on-device AI for tasks like summarizing and polishing text, with privacy as a core feature. Export options include long images, PDFs, and Word documents.

Highlights
  • AI Markdown pasting and preview
  • Export to image, PDF, Word, HTML, EPUB
  • On-device AI for text editing
  • Photo to text conversion
  • Markdown editor with toolbar
  • File organization and search
Features
Read full description

Paste Markdown from an AI chat, preview it cleanly, and share it as a long image, PDF, or Word file. WitNote is a Markdown editor for iPhone and iPad with a small AI that runs on your device, offline. Free to download. Long-image export and image to text are free; an optional one-time Pro purchase unlocks the other formats and removes the watermark. No account, no ads. SHARE WITHOUT THE MARKUP AI answers often arrive as Markdown, full of #, ** and - marks that look messy when you send them. Paste the text into WitNote, check the preview, and export a phone-friendly long image (PNG) that looks right in any messaging app. You can also export a PDF in A4 or phone-screen size, a Word (.docx) file, a standalone HTML page, or plain text, then save it here or share it to another app. EPUB books can be exported by chapter or as a whole book. Long-image export is free and carries a small light-gray watermark that Pro removes. PHOTO TO TEXT, ON YOUR DEVICE Turn the text in a PNG or JPEG image into a Markdown file saved next to it, recognized on your device, with a progress bar while it works. The original image stays unchanged. This is free. TRY HTML ON YOUR PHONE Create an HTML page, paste code from an AI chat or write your own, and run it in the preview: a small web tool or a browser game. Edit the source, run it again, and keep it as a file in your library. WRITE AND PREVIEW IN MARKDOWN โ€ข Edit Markdown with a keyboard toolbar, switch to Preview, and jump between headings with the document outline. โ€ข Keep notes, drafts, and HTML pages in the Files list, organized in folders you create. Search names, paths, and full text. โ€ข Open Markdown, plain text, HTML, Word, PDF, EPUB, and image files in one place. READ AND ZOOM Read EPUB books chapter by chapter and adjust the reading size. Image, PDF, Word, and HTML previews share one zoom bar: pinch, or tap zoom in, zoom out, and fit to width. OPTIONAL AI THAT RUNS ON YOUR DEVICE WitNote includes a small language model that runs on your iPhone or iPad and works offline. Ask it to polish a draft, summarize, check grammar, suggest titles, or outline an idea, with the current document attached as context. You review suggestions before applying them. AI is optional, and the workspace works without it. Speed and quality depend on your device. A larger optional model can be downloaded, which needs a network connection. PRIVACY No account, no ads, no tracking. Your documents stay in locations you choose. If you configure and choose to use an external service, the prompt you send and any document context included in the request are sent to that service; its terms apply. WitNote does not include a bookstore or third-party books, and you are responsible for having the rights to the files you open or export. WITNOTE PRO Format conversion, export to PDF, Word, and HTML, and hiding the watermark are unlocked by the optional WitNote Pro lifetime purchase: one payment, no subscription. One purchase is shared across Mac, iPhone, and iPad under the same Apple Account. To restore an earlier purchase, choose Restore purchases. WitNote is made by an independent developer, and feedback is always welcome. Available in English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, and Arabic. Requires iOS 18 or later.

Screenshots

HillNote4 screens
WitNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HillNote at none against WitNote's 1. HillNote also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. WitNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. HillNote asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 6 level
HillNote versus WitNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHillNoteWitNote
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsโ€”50.0% of reviews
Update frequencyWeeklyโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
Monetizationโ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size221 MB362 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperRajath BailๆธŠๅš ่ƒก

In-app purchases

None

HillNote

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

WitNote

One-time1
  • WitNote Pro Vida$19.99

Questions

Is HillNote free?
HillNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WitNote free?
WitNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HillNote or WitNote have ads?
Neither HillNote nor WitNote shows ads.

Other comparisons