Comparison

Runrista vs markdown notes

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

Head to head
About

Runrista

Features
Read full description

Runrista is a focused writing app for iPad and iPhone. Write in Markdown, organize your work into projects, and keep everything in one calm writing space. Runrista is built for people who want to write with focus and improve their text without leaving the document. With Runrista you can: • Write and edit in a clean, distraction free editor • Organize documents into projects • Use built in writing analysis directly in the document • Review spelling, long sentences, filler words, repetition, and more • Chat with AI inside the current document • Rewrite passages and explore alternative versions • Fact check claims in your text • Learn your writing style and get more tailored AI help • Export your writing when you are ready Core writing features work without any account. Premium unlocks AI features inside Runrista. To use AI, you connect your own provider and API key in Settings. Runrista is designed to help you stay focused, improve your writing, and keep your work in one place. Privacy Policy: https://runrista.se/privacy Terms of Use: https://runrista.se/terms

About

markdown notes

A minimalist Markdown editor that stores all your notes as plain text files, accessible across your devices. It offers beautiful writing tools, seamless cloud sync, and powerful organization features without any bloat.

Highlights
  • Plain .md file storage
  • iCloud Drive sync
  • Markdown syntax highlighting
  • Task list checkboxes
  • Folder and instant search organization
  • Menu bar app on Mac
  • Export to PDF, HTML, RTF (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Smolpad is a smol Markdown editor with respect for your files. Every note is a plain .md file you can open with any app, on any device, forever. Your files are your own. No database. No lock-in. No bloat. Just a tiny, fast home for your notes on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. WRITE IN MARKDOWN, BEAUTIFULLY • Syntax dims as you type, or hides away entirely with one tap • Task lists become real checkboxes. Checkboxes that check. • Headings, bold, italic, code, quotes, and tables, styled as you write • A formatting bar for common touches, plus full keyboard shortcuts • Pictures too: drag or paste one in, resize it by its corner, and it lives as a plain file beside the note YOUR FILES, ANYWHERE • Notes sync through your own iCloud Drive, included free • Open your notes folder in Finder or Files any time • Organize with folders, pins, and instant search • Find notes in Spotlight, and open them with Siri or Shortcuts • Nothing ever leaves your devices except to your own cloud SMOL ON PURPOSE • On the Mac, Smolpad lives in your menu bar, one hotkey away • Tear off a note into its own window when you want to stay a while • On iPhone and iPad, it opens fast and stays out of your way • Seven hand-picked fonts and a clean, quiet interface MAKE IT YOURS WITH SMOLPAD PRO • Unlimited notes (the free tier includes ten) • Dropbox, pCloud, or Google Drive sync, in a folder that belongs to you • Export to PDF, HTML, or rich text, and print • Lock Screen widgets on iPhone, and Smolpad on Apple Watch • Twenty-nine editor themes, from Tokyo Night to Catppuccin • Seventeen app icons and the full menu bar icon set Smolpad Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. The free tier is a real notes app, not a trial. Made by a smol team that believes plain text outlives everything. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://smolpad.com/privacy

Screenshots

Runrista4 screens
markdown notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

Runrista and markdown notes are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Runrista sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and markdown notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Runrista ships an update weekly, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Runrista versus markdown notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRunristamarkdown notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid SvenssonBaconWorks, LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Runrista

Subscriptions2
  • Runrista Premium Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Runrista Premium Annual$17.991 Year
3 purchases

markdown notes

Subscriptions2
  • Smolpad Pro$1.491 Month
  • Smolpad Pro$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Smolpad Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Runrista free?
Runrista is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is markdown notes free?
markdown notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Runrista or markdown notes have ads?
Neither Runrista nor markdown notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Runrista or markdown notes?
Runrista ships an update weekly, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Runrista was updated on October 17, 2026 and markdown notes on October 10, 2026.

Other comparisons