MDash vs Flow Pad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | MDash | Flow Pad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Artur Gorbaczewski | Shryas Bhurat |
Customer experience
MDash
Flow Pad
In-app purchases
MDash
No in-app purchases
Flow Pad
No in-app purchases








