Comparison

Aino vs SteelNote

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

Head to head
About

Aino

A fast, focused Markdown workspace for building a personal knowledge system. Connect ideas and turn notes into a structured, evolving network. Ideal for capturing thoughts, organizing knowledge, or building your second brain.

Highlights
  • Markdown-first editing
  • Connected notes
  • Structured thinking
  • Focused experience
  • Personal LifeOS
Features
Read full description

Aino is a fast, focused Markdown workspace for building your personal knowledge system. Write in pure Markdown, connect ideas, and turn your notes into a structured, evolving system. Whether you're capturing thoughts, organizing knowledge, or building your second brain, Aino gives you a clean and powerful space to think. KEY FEATURES • Markdown-first editing Write naturally in Markdown with a fast and minimal editor. • Connected notes Link your notes together and build a network of ideas. • Structured thinking Turn scattered notes into a coherent system. • Focused experience No clutter. Just writing, thinking, and connecting. • Your personal LifeOS Aino grows with you as your knowledge system evolves. Aino is designed for people who think deeply and write often. Start building your second brain today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://aino.md/legal/privacy

About

SteelNote

This app stores your notes as plain Markdown files on your device, ensuring you always own your data. It offers seamless syncing across Apple devices, instant search, and robust import options from other note-taking applications.

Highlights
  • Plain Markdown file storage
  • iCloud sync across Apple devices
  • Local full-text search
  • Import from multiple note apps
  • Link notes and see backlinks
  • Organize with folders and tags
  • Mark notes as private
Read full description

SteelNote is a notes app built on one promise: your notes are plain Markdown files that you own. Every note is a real .md file on your device, openable in the Files app or in any editor you like, today and years from now. No proprietary database. Nothing locked away. Your notes, truly yours. Because every note is plain text, you are never trapped. Read and edit them in SteelNote, in Files, or in any other Markdown app. If you ever move on, you take your files with you as they are, in an open format that lasts. Native on all your Apple devices. SteelNote is built natively for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Your notes sync across all of them through iCloud, with no third party account and no extra sign in. Start a note on your phone and finish it on your Mac. Find anything, instantly. A local full text index makes search immediate, even in large libraries. Link notes together, see backlinks, organize with folders and tags, and turn any line into a task. Private when you want it. Mark a note as private and it stays out of widgets and AI features. Your most sensitive notes remain yours alone. Bring everything with you. Import from Bear, Notion, Obsidian and Evernote, or from Markdown, TextBundle, Word, RTF, PDF and CSV files. Your folders and structure come along. Apple Notes works too, one note at a time, because Apple offers no bulk export. Everything you expect. Add images, PDFs and tables inline. Use checklists, footnotes and links. Reach your notes from Spotlight, Siri and widgets, and hand off between devices. An open format, now standard. Markdown is a first class type across Apple platforms, and SteelNote is built natively around it. Your files are open, portable and yours. Membership. SteelNote comes with a 14 day free trial, then a yearly plan or a one time lifetime purchase. You can cancel during the trial and pay nothing, or skip the subscription and choose the lifetime purchase instead. Sync is always included and never restricted. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. A yearly plan renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://steelnoteapp.com/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Aino4 screens
SteelNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Aino at 15.1 against SteelNote's 17.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Aino sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SteelNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aino ships an update every 5 days, SteelNote every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Aino versus SteelNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAinoSteelNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size102 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer宜丙 林Claude Bezeaud

Customer experience

Aino

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SteelNote

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Aino

Subscriptions3
  • Aino Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Aino Pro Founder Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Aino Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Aino Pro Lifetime$249.99
2 purchases

SteelNote

Subscriptions1
  • Annual14 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$44.99

Questions

Is Aino free?
Aino is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SteelNote free?
SteelNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Aino or SteelNote have ads?
Neither Aino nor SteelNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aino or SteelNote?
Aino ships an update every 5 days, and SteelNote every 4 days. Most recently, Aino was updated on October 31, 2026 and SteelNote on October 31, 2026.

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