Comparison

ZenSlate vs Beauty

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

Head to head
About

ZenSlate

Features
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ZenSlate is a calm, minimal notes app for iPhone and iPad. Capture quick thoughts, draft ideas, manage checklists, and keep your writing in sync with your Mac through iCloud. ZenSlate keeps the interface quiet so your slate stays center stage. Write in plain text or use live inline Markdown for a cleaner editing experience. Headings, lists, checklists, links, code, quotes, tables, and fenced code blocks render gently while preserving your original Markdown source. Key Features: โ€ข Made for iPhone and iPad A compact writing space on iPhone, with a sidebar workflow on iPad for moving between slates quickly. โ€ข iCloud sync Read and edit your slates across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. โ€ข Live inline Markdown Use Markdown for headings, bold, italic, links, inline code, lists, task lists, block quotes, tables, and code fences. โ€ข Raw text mode Switch to plain source editing whenever you want the simplest possible canvas. โ€ข Keyboard accessory controls When the keyboard is open, use quick controls for Markdown formatting, lists, indentation, undo/redo, and keyboard dismiss. โ€ข Pin and manage slates Keep important slates close, duplicate drafts, clear a slate, or delete what you no longer need. โ€ข Calm themes and typography Choose the mood and reading feel that fit your writing. โ€ข Hardware keyboard friendly On iPad, core shortcuts work where iPadOS supports them. ZenSlate is a simple place for slates, drafts, checklists, notes, and loose thoughts. Write with clarity. Stay organized with ease.

About

Beauty

Read full description

Give your thoughts a place worth returning to. Beauty is a Markdown editor for people who care about their words. A quiet page, expressive typography, and carefully considered details make room for the work: a passing thought, a difficult problem, a first draft worth finishing. Start writing. No Beauty account required. The editor, local notes, export, and live collaboration are free. A PAGE THAT FEELS LIKE YOURS Choose from four typefaces: Literata, Source Sans 3, IBM Plex Mono, and Nunito. Find your preferred line width, switch between light and dark, and settle into a page that suits the way you think. MORE THAN WORDS Bring ideas into focus with headings, lists, checklists, quotes, links, and images. Work through the details with tables, code blocks, mathematical formulas, and Mermaid diagrams. Slash commands put blocks within reach; thoughtful punctuation shortcuts keep your hands moving. ROOM TO THINK Arrange notes in folders, move between documents in tabs, and return to earlier drafts with version history. Beauty keeps up to 200 versions of each note, so a new direction does not have to erase the old one. YOUR WORDS, YOUR FILES Write offline. Keep your work in an open format. Export Markdown, HTML, or PDF, or take your whole library with you. On Mac, your library lives in ordinary files. On iPhone, the private library is encrypted on the device. There are no ads or app usage analytics. THINK TOGETHER Invite someone into a document with a link and edit together, live. Collaboration is optional. Your edits travel between participants; no Beauty document server keeps a copy. IPHONE AND MAC, TOGETHER Beauty Maximus is an optional auto-renewable subscription for iCloud sync. Keep your library current across iPhone and Mac using your own iCloud account. Choose a monthly or annual plan. Everything else stays free. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase, or after any eligible free trial. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Made slowly, on purpose. Privacy Policy: https://www.markdown.beauty/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

ZenSlate4 screens
Beauty4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ZenSlate at none against Beauty's 2. Beauty's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Beauty sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ZenSlate asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZenSlate ships an update every 2 weeks, Beauty every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
ZenSlate versus Beauty: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZenSlateBeauty
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size6 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSachin KumarThiago Peres

In-app purchases

None

ZenSlate

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Beauty

Subscriptions2
  • Beauty Maximus Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Beauty Maximus Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is ZenSlate free?
ZenSlate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Beauty free?
Beauty is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ZenSlate or Beauty have ads?
Neither ZenSlate nor Beauty shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZenSlate or Beauty?
ZenSlate ships an update every 2 weeks, and Beauty every 4 days. Most recently, ZenSlate was updated on October 30, 2026 and Beauty on November 6, 2026.

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