Comparison

pocketbrief vs Smolpad

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

Head to head
About

pocketbrief

Features
Read full description

pocketbrief helps you quickly capture raw ideas, organize them with AI, save them, revisit them later, and set reminders so nothing gets lost. Whether it’s a campaign spark, content angle, product thought, or half-finished note, pocketbrief turns rough thinking into a clearer brief you can actually act on. Use pocketbrief to: capture ideas the moment they happen Organize rough notes into a structured brief Save and reopen ideas anytime edit and refine thinking over time Set reminders so important ideas resurface at the right moment

About

Smolpad

This app offers a minimalist Markdown editor that stores your notes as plain .md files. It syncs via iCloud and allows for beautiful writing with syntax highlighting and task lists. Upgrade for unlimited notes, more sync options, and export features.

Highlights
  • Plain .md file storage
  • iCloud sync
  • Markdown syntax highlighting
  • Task list checkboxes
  • Folder organization and search
  • Trash and version history
  • Export to PDF/HTML (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 • A Trash for deleted notes, and a history of every note's earlier versions • Find notes in Spotlight, and open them with Siri or Shortcuts • Your notes never leave 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 • Eight 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 • Notepads: open any folder of Markdown files as its own notepad, an Obsidian vault or a Bear export among them • Export to PDF, HTML, or rich text, and print • Widgets on the Mac, iPhone and iPad, 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

pocketbrief3 screens
Smolpad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: pocketbrief at none against Smolpad's 3. pocketbrief also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Smolpad's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads 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. Smolpad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. pocketbrief asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
pocketbrief versus Smolpad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpocketbriefSmolpad
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB76 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGabriel OropezaBaconWorks, LLC

In-app purchases

None

pocketbrief

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Smolpad

Subscriptions2
  • Smolpad Pro$1.491 Month
  • Smolpad Pro7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Smolpad Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is pocketbrief free?
pocketbrief is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smolpad free?
Smolpad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do pocketbrief or Smolpad have ads?
Neither pocketbrief nor Smolpad shows ads.

Other comparisons