Comparison

Daily Markdown vs markdown notes

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

Head to head
About

Daily Markdown

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Daily Markdown is a minimalist journaling app designed for one simple purpose: write every day. SIMPLE BY DESIGN One note per day. No folders, no tags, no complexity. Just open the app and start writing. Yesterday's notes become read-only, keeping you focused on today. MULTIPLE TABS Organize each day with separate tabs - To-Do, Notes, Ideas. Create custom tabs on-the-fly to structure your thoughts however you like. MARKDOWN, YOUR WAY Write in familiar Markdown – bold, italic, headers, lists, checkboxes, and code blocks. Switch between Rich and Plain mode with a single click: Rich renders headings, emphasis, and lists as you type for distraction-free reading; Plain shows every Markdown character for precise editing. Your files stay plain .md either way. FOCUS MODE Hide distractions and enter a clean, minimal writing environment. Just you and your words. EVERYWHERE YOU ARE Available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Your notes sync automatically via iCloud across all your devices. Start on your Mac, continue on your iPhone, finish on your iPad. FEATURES • One note per day format • Multiple tabs per day • Rich and Plain Markdown modes with live syntax highlighting • Distraction-free focus mode • Pin important notes for quick access • Full-text search across all notes • iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, and iPad • Light, dark, and auto themes • Multiple accent colors • Daily task templates • Word and character count • Keyboard shortcuts Daily Markdown respects your privacy. Your notes stay on your devices and in your personal iCloud. We never see your data. Start your daily writing habit today.

About

markdown notes

Features
Read full description

Smolpad is a smol Markdown editor with respect for your files. Every note is a plain .md file you can open with any app, on any device, forever. Your files are your own. No database. No lock-in. No bloat. Just a tiny, fast home for your notes on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. WRITE IN MARKDOWN, BEAUTIFULLY • Syntax dims as you type, or hides away entirely with one tap • Task lists become real checkboxes. Checkboxes that check. • Headings, bold, italic, code, and quotes, styled as you write • A formatting bar for common touches, plus full keyboard shortcuts • Pictures too: drag or paste one in, resize it by its corner, and it lives as a plain file beside the note YOUR FILES, ANYWHERE • Notes sync through your own iCloud Drive, included free • Open your notes folder in Finder or Files any time • Organize with folders, pins, and instant search • Nothing ever leaves your devices except to your own cloud SMOL ON PURPOSE • On the Mac, Smolpad lives in your menu bar, one hotkey away • Tear off a note into its own window when you want to stay a while • On iPhone and iPad, it opens fast and stays out of your way • Seven hand-picked fonts and a clean, quiet interface MAKE IT YOURS WITH SMOLPAD PRO • Unlimited notes (the free tier includes ten) • Dropbox sync, in an app folder that belongs to you • Twenty-nine editor themes, from Tokyo Night to Catppuccin • Seventeen app icons and the full menu bar icon set Smolpad Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. The free tier is a real notes app, not a trial. Made by a smol team that believes plain text outlives everything. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://smolpad.com/privacy

Screenshots

Daily Markdown2 screens
markdown notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Daily Markdown at none against markdown notes's 3. markdown notes's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. markdown notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Daily Markdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Daily Markdown ships an update every 5 months, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Daily Markdown versus markdown notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDaily Markdownmarkdown notes
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperValters GrisansBaconWorks, LLC

In-app purchases

None

Daily Markdown

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

markdown notes

Subscriptions2
  • Smolpad Pro$1.491 Month
  • Smolpad Pro$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Smolpad Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Daily Markdown free?
Daily Markdown is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is markdown notes free?
markdown notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Daily Markdown or markdown notes have ads?
Neither Daily Markdown nor markdown notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Daily Markdown or markdown notes?
Daily Markdown ships an update every 5 months, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Daily Markdown was updated on September 22, 2026 and markdown notes on September 24, 2026.

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