SnapNote Sync vs Smolpad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SnapNote Sync
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Quickly create a note along with images, support handwriting recognition for different languages, text recognition of existing images or using camera to capture texts. Upload multiple images and merge photos, save photos to album. Support read aloud what is note down. Assign tags to notes, search and sort notes, so you can quickly find the note you are looking for. Customize your notes and tags with icons of your choice. You can create multiple pages in a note to better organize your information. All notes, tags and images sychronized to your private iCloud space automatically, so your notes are shared among your devices automatically. It is fast, secure and always available on your devices. Subscription Information SnapNote offers auto-renewable subscriptions to unlock premium features: • Monthly Subscription • Yearly Subscription Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your App Store account settings after purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://donghangzhang.wixsite.com/cicada/privacy-snapnote
Smolpad
This app offers a minimalist Markdown editor that stores your notes as plain .md files. It syncs via iCloud and allows for beautiful writing with syntax highlighting and task lists. Upgrade for unlimited notes, more sync options, and export features.
- Plain .md file storage
- iCloud sync
- Markdown syntax highlighting
- Task list checkboxes
- Folder organization and search
- Trash and version history
- Export to PDF/HTML (Pro)
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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, quotes, and tables, 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 • A Trash for deleted notes, and a history of every note's earlier versions • Find notes in Spotlight, and open them with Siri or Shortcuts • Your notes never leave 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 • Eight hand-picked fonts and a clean, quiet interface MAKE IT YOURS WITH SMOLPAD PRO • Unlimited notes (the free tier includes ten) • Dropbox, pCloud, or Google Drive sync, in a folder that belongs to you • Notepads: open any folder of Markdown files as its own notepad, an Obsidian vault or a Bear export among them • Export to PDF, HTML, or rich text, and print • Widgets on the Mac, iPhone and iPad, Lock Screen widgets on iPhone, and Smolpad on Apple Watch • 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Smolpad at every 10 days against SnapNote Sync's every 2 months. Smolpad also leads on device support (4 vs 2). SnapNote Sync's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. SnapNote Sync sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Smolpad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SnapNote Sync ships an update every 2 months, Smolpad every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SnapNote Sync | Smolpad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 76 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Donghang Zhang | BaconWorks, LLC |
In-app purchases
SnapNote Sync
- Monthly Plan$0.991 Month
- Yearly Plan$9.991 Year
Smolpad
- Smolpad Pro$1.491 Month
- Smolpad Pro7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Smolpad Pro Lifetime$29.99









