KeeForge vs Maho Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
KeeForge
Securely manage your passwords and sensitive information using a native iOS application that syncs with your existing KeePass databases. It offers seamless AutoFill capabilities, robust security features like Face ID unlock and key file support, and is fully open source.
- Native iOS app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Syncs with iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, FTP
- AutoFill passwords, passkeys, and TOTP codes
- Face ID/Touch ID unlock with auto-lock
- Key file support
- Fully open source under GPLv3
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KeeForge is a native iOS password manager for KeePass (.kdbx) databases. Open vaults from iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, FTP, or local files. AutoFill passwords, passkeys, and TOTP codes with Face ID. No accounts, no tracking, no subscription — fully open source under GPLv3. Why KeeForge: - Native iOS app, not a port — built in Swift for iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Your vault stays encrypted on your device; we never see it - Zero accounts, zero telemetry, zero ads - Compatible with KeePassXC, KeePass 2.x, KeePassium, and Strongbox Vault Management - Open .kdbx databases from local files, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, FTP, or any Files app provider - Manage multiple databases from a dedicated home screen - Create new KDBX 4.x databases on-device or in Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, FTP - Browse groups and entries with instant search Editing & Saving - Create, edit, and delete entries with built-in password generation - Autosave with timestamped backups and save-conflict detection - Entry history, unknown fields, and third-party extensions preserved — no data loss when round-tripping with KeePassXC or other clients - Read-only mode for shared databases AutoFill - AutoFill passwords, passkeys, and TOTP codes in Safari and apps - QuickType bar suggestions — tap to fill with Face ID - Save new credentials directly from AutoFill, even when offline Security - Face ID / Touch ID unlock with auto-lock inactivity timer - Key file support — all KeePass formats (.key, .keyx, binary, hex) - Screen recording detection blurs vault when capture is active - Exponential lockout after failed unlock attempts - Argon2 KDF, AES-GCM in-memory encryption of secrets - Clipboard stays on-device — no Universal Clipboard sync Open Source - Fully open source under GPLv3 - Source on GitHub: github.com/KeeForge/KeeForge - Independently audited; no network calls except to your own cloud storage and the optional in-app feedback form Tip jar available if you'd like to support development. No subscription, no accounts, no upsell. FTP connections are unencrypted. Use FTP only on networks you trust, and avoid editing the same FTP database from multiple apps or devices at once. FTPS and SFTP are not supported.
Maho Notes
A beautiful Markdown note-taking app that keeps your words secure. Notes are stored as plain .md files, with options for local storage or syncing via iCloud or GitHub. It offers advanced search capabilities and supports various Markdown features.
- Plain .md file storage
- iCloud and GitHub sync options
- On-device semantic search
- Full CommonMark + GFM support
- KaTeX math and Mermaid diagrams
- Hierarchical collections and vaults
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Maho Notes is a markdown-based note-taking app for people who care about their words — and want to keep them. Every note is a plain .md file on your device. No proprietary format, no vendor lock-in, no servers you don't control. Sync through your own iCloud, your own GitHub repo, or keep notes purely local — your choice. FREE, NO STRINGS Maho Notes is completely free. Every feature is included — no subscription, no paywall, no ads, no account to create. If the app earns a place in your workflow, there's an optional tip jar in Settings. Tipping unlocks nothing; it just says thanks. A NOTES APP THAT SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE Full multilingual support, including search across English, 中文 (Traditional Chinese), 日本語 (Japanese), and 한국어 (Korean) — powered by a CJK-aware tokenizer that actually understands word boundaries in each language. Add furigana to Japanese kanji, Zhuyin to Mandarin, Tâi-lô to Taiwanese, or readings to Korean — all with one simple syntax: {漢字|ふりがな}. THREE WAYS TO SEARCH • Keyword search — fast SQLite FTS5 across every note • Semantic search — on-device vector embeddings find ideas, not just words • Hybrid — both, fused into one ranked list Models run entirely on-device. Nothing about your notes leaves your hardware. WRITTEN IN MARKDOWN, RENDERED BEAUTIFULLY • Full CommonMark + GitHub Flavored Markdown • KaTeX math equations • Mermaid diagrams • Syntax-highlighted code blocks • Ruby annotations for any language • Image and asset embedding • Tables, task lists, footnotes ORGANIZE YOUR WAY Vaults hold collections. Collections hold notes. Drag-and-drop reordering, custom icons and colors, hierarchical sub-collections, and per-collection ordering — all stored in plain YAML you can read. • iCloud — seamless across your Apple devices • GitHub — version your notes as a private repo, sync through your own account using GitHub's official Device Flow login (no third-party server in the middle) • Device-only — keep everything offline Conflicts get clearly-named files (note.conflict-DeviceName.md), never silent overwrites. UNIVERSAL APP One free download covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Optimized layouts for each: a focus-friendly stack on iPhone, a three-column workspace on iPad and Mac, with the same vault wherever you are.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: KeeForge at every 6 days against Maho Notes's every 5 months. KeeForge also leads on ratings volume (13 vs 2). Maho Notes's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). 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. KeeForge sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Maho Notes sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Maho Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KeeForge has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
KeeForge ships an update every 6 days, Maho Notes every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KeeForge | Maho Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (13 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jia Tan | Kuo-Chuan Pan |
Customer experience
KeeForge
Maho Notes
In-app purchases
KeeForge
- Small Tip$3.99
- Nice Tip$6.99
- Big Tip$14.99
Maho Notes
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$9.99









