Comparison

MDash vs Flow Pad

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

Head to head
About

MDash

This app offers a live split-view editor for Markdown with real-time preview and syntax highlighting. It also supports Mermaid diagram rendering directly within documents, allowing for efficient text formatting and creation of visual aids.

Highlights
  • Live split-view Markdown editing
  • Real-time preview with syntax highlighting
  • Mermaid diagram rendering
  • Export to MD, TXT, or PDF
  • Auto-save functionality
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

MDash is a Markdown editor that keeps your notes as plain text on your device. No lock-in, no account, no sync you did not ask for. Write on iPhone, iPad and now Mac — the full workspace on every screen. MARKDOWN, RENDERED LIVE Type plain Markdown and watch the preview update as you type: headings, lists, task checkboxes, tables, code blocks with syntax awareness, links and images. Show the text, the preview, or both side by side. MERMAID DIAGRAMS — FREE FOR EVERYONE Describe a flowchart, sequence diagram, Gantt chart, class diagram or state machine in plain text and MDash draws it instantly. Rendering is built into the app: no network, nothing leaves your device. ON MAC AND APPLE WATCH The complete MDash workspace runs on macOS — a three-column library, keyboard-first editing and the same live preview and Mermaid rendering. On Apple Watch, browse your library and read any note on your wrist. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Watch. YOUR LIBRARY, ORGANIZED • Pinned notes, Last 7 Days, and Trash with restore • Full-text search across every note, with jump to match • In-document find and replace with match highlighting • Attach photos to notes; files stay ordinary Markdown • Folders keep related notes together; create one right from the sidebar • Tags under the title, a Tags section in the sidebar, and search by tag • Smart folders collect notes automatically from the tags you choose • Scan documents into a note, and search the text inside photos and scans — on device, free • Import from Obsidian, Bear, Apple Notes, TextBundle or any folder of Markdown files — free • Version History keeps earlier versions of every note on device, ready to restore — free EXPORT AND SHARE • Export Markdown and plain text — free • Copy as rich text for mail and documents • PDF, HTML, Word (DOCX), ePub, RTF, JPG and TextBundle export with MDash Pro MDASH PRO — ONE PURCHASE, EVERY DEVICE A single one-time purchase unlocks iCloud sync across your devices, export to PDF, HTML, Word, ePub and more, and watermark-free Mermaid diagrams. No subscription. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Notes are stored on device; sync is optional and uses your iCloud. Mermaid rendering is local. There is no tracking and no account. Questions or ideas? Leave a review or reach out through the App Store page — MDash is built by an independent developer and shaped by user feedback.

About

Flow Pad

Record voice notes or write text notes, with on-device transcription, AI-powered summaries, and a chat feature to ask questions about your content. All processing happens locally for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • On-device voice recording and transcription
  • AI-powered note summarization
  • Chat to ask questions about notes
  • Create written notes with rich text
  • Organize and search notes
  • Privacy-focused, no data sent off-device
Features
Read full description

Flow Pad is a private notes app for iPhone and iPad. Record by voice or write notes, then get on-device transcription, summaries, and a chat to ask questions about any note, no account, no data sent off your device. RECORD • Full-screen recorder with live waveform • Pause and resume; tap Done to save as a note in your Notes list • On-device speech-to-text (Apple Speech); transcript appears in the note SUMMARIZE • On-device summarization (Apple Foundation Models when available, or built-in extractive summary) • Each note gets a summary, key highlights (bullets), and action items with checkboxes • Tap “Generate summary” in the note if it wasn’t created yet ASK ABOUT THIS NOTE • “Ask about this note” at the top of each note opens a chat • Ask anything about that note; answers use only its summary, transcript, and content—on device • Input bar stays just above the keyboard so you can type and send easily WRITE NOTES • Create written notes (title + body) from the Notes screen (+ menu: Record or Write Note) • Add headings, bullet lists, and photos from your library • Same summarization and “Ask about this note” as voice notes ORGANIZE & FIND • Notes list with “Search notes”; grouped by Today, Yesterday, and date • Pin notes to the top; full-text search across titles, summaries, and transcripts • Swipe or context menu to delete; Pin, Copy, Share from the list or the note’s ⋯ menu NOTE DETAIL • Editable title; audio playback with waveform and progress • Summary, key highlights, action items (tap to mark done), transcript, written content • One-tap copy (summary, transcript, or all) and share PRIVACY • Recording, transcription, summarization, and Q&A all happen on your device • No account or sign-in; microphone for recording, Speech Recognition for transcription, Photo Library, only if you add photos Flow Pad: voice and written notes, on-device AI, and ask anything about your notes—without sending your data elsewhere.

Screenshots

MDash4 screens
Flow Pad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Flow Pad at 5.0 against MDash's 3.7. MDash's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (5 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Flow Pad holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MDash ships an update every 2 days, Flow Pad every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MDash versus Flow Pad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMDashFlow Pad
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB2 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperArtur GorbaczewskiShryas Bhurat

Customer experience

MDash

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Flow Pad

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

MDash

No in-app purchases

None

Flow Pad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MDash free?
MDash is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Flow Pad free?
Flow Pad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MDash or Flow Pad?
Flow Pad is rated higher. MDash averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Flow Pad averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do MDash or Flow Pad have ads?
Neither MDash nor Flow Pad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MDash or Flow Pad?
MDash ships an update every 2 days, and Flow Pad every 3 weeks. Most recently, MDash was updated on September 18, 2026 and Flow Pad on September 9, 2026.

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