# OrbNote vs Present Past

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Present Past at none against OrbNote's 2. Present Past also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). OrbNote's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. OrbNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Present Past asks for nothing beyond the download.

OrbNote ships an update every 11 days, Present Past every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OrbNote | Present Past |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbnote-chat-style-notes/id6756836158/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 88 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [志远 郭](https://appshunter.io/developer/1850609159) | [SeungEun Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884158333) |

## What reviewers say

### OrbNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbnote-chat-style-notes/id6756836158)

This app offers a chat-style notebook for Apple devices, allowing users to capture text, images, recordings, and files in a timeline format. Organize notes manually or with AI suggestions, and sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

**Highlights:** Chat-style note capture, Support for text, images, audio, files, AI-powered organization suggestions, Cross-device sync (iPhone, iPad, Mac), Local-first storage, Password-protected threads (Pro), Expiring messages (Pro)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Membership | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Membership | $29.99 | per year |


### Present Past

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/present-past/id6761558182)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OrbNote free?

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

### Is Present Past free?

Present Past is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do OrbNote or Present Past have ads?

Neither OrbNote nor Present Past shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OrbNote or Present Past?

OrbNote ships an update every 11 days, and Present Past every 4 days. Most recently, OrbNote was updated on October 31, 2026 and Present Past on October 25, 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.*