Comparison

dol vs Vessel

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

Head to head
About

dol

Features
Read full description

dol is a notes app you write in markdown. Your notes live on your device, and you decide which server they sync through. β–  Everything you would expect Live preview as you type. [[Wikilink]] autocompletion and backlinks. Search across titles and bodies. Find and replace inside a note. Nested folders and image attachments. β–  Sync that goes nowhere else Your iPhone, iPad, and the Windows and Mac apps all see the same notes, and they travel through a CouchDB server you choose. Run your own or use a host β€” either works. Setup takes about five minutes from the settings screen, and your password is stored only in the iOS keychain. β–  Sync is optional Leave it off and your notes stay on this device. No internet connection needed. β–  Import and export Bring in a folder of .md files you already have. Or go the other way: export every note and image as a single zip.

About

Vessel

Features
Read full description

Vessel is a calm place to catch a thought before it disappears. Capture a thought in the moment Write in the capture circle, save with a swipe, or use voice dictation when typing isn’t convenient. Long press to choose a category. Make sense of what you’ve collected Browse your Library, search, filter, and sort thoughts, and explore the connections between them in Space. Archive, restore, or move thoughts to Trash when you need to. Return at the right time Review selected thoughts in a focused, swipeable view. Create local reminders for a thought or optionally enable Thought Resurfacing to rediscover past ideas. Keep control of your data Vessel is an offline-first app. Export selected thoughts as a Markdown vault or copy them as plain text. Optional usage analytics help improve Vessel. They never include note contents, searches, or anything you write, and can be changed at any time in Settings.

Screenshots

dol4 screens
Vessel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: dol at every 8 days against Vessel's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

dol ships an update every 8 days, Vessel every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
dol versus Vessel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterdolVessel
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 8 days β€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 β€” better15.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size13 MB69 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPraxo StudioJunmin Kim

In-app purchases

None

dol

No in-app purchases

None

Vessel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is dol free?
dol is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Vessel free?
Vessel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do dol or Vessel have ads?
Neither dol nor Vessel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, dol or Vessel?
dol ships an update every 8 days, and Vessel every 2 months. Most recently, dol was updated on October 31, 2026 and Vessel on November 5, 2026.

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