# Caffeinated Notes vs markdown notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: markdown notes at every 10 days against Caffeinated Notes's every 3 weeks. Caffeinated Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Caffeinated Notes sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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.

Caffeinated Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Caffeinated Notes | markdown notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/id6792438749/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 48 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Caffeinated Softworks LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879624762) | [BaconWorks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783126115) |

## What reviewers say

### Caffeinated Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caffeinated-notes/id6761129114)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Individual Account (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Duo Account (Monthly) | $7.99 | per month |
| Family Account (Monthly) | $17.99 | per month |
| Friends & Family Account (Monthly) | $19.99 | per month |
| Individual Account (Annual) | $49.99 | per year |
| Duo Account (Annual) | $79.99 | per year |
| Family Account (Annual) | $149.99 | per year |
| Friends & Family (Annual) | $199.99 | per year |


### markdown notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/id6792438749)

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:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smolpad Pro | $1.49 | per month |
| Smolpad Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Smolpad Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Caffeinated Notes free?

Caffeinated Notes 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 Caffeinated Notes or markdown notes have ads?

Neither Caffeinated Notes nor markdown notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Caffeinated Notes or markdown notes?

Caffeinated Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Caffeinated Notes was updated on October 6, 2026 and markdown notes on October 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*