Comparison

Maho Notes vs GrabIt Library Manager

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

GrabIt Library Manager

Features
Read full description

(Important) This app will not work without the GrabIt app for macOS. The GrabIt library manager for iPhone and iPad is now available. Access and manage screenshots taken on your Mac anytime, anywhere. Don't forget to turn on iCloud sync in the GrabIt app's preferences on your Mac!

Screenshots

Maho Notes3 screens
GrabIt Library Manager4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GrabIt Library Manager at none against Maho Notes's 3. GrabIt Library Manager also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Maho Notes sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. GrabIt Library Manager asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Maho Notes ships an update every 5 months, GrabIt Library Manager every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Maho Notes versus GrabIt Library Manager: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMaho NotesGrabIt Library Manager
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKuo-Chuan PanNaeMaem LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Maho Notes

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
None

GrabIt Library Manager

No in-app purchases

Questions

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

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