Comparison

Annota Notes vs Etched

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

Head to head
About

Annota Notes

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Annota — Private, Local-First Note Taking Annota is a fast, offline-first note-taking app designed for privacy, speed, and absolute data control. Your notes stay securely on your device by default, with optional end-to-end encrypted cloud sync when you need it. Key Features • Local-First by Design Your notes are stored locally on your device, allowing instant access anytime — even entirely offline. • End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) Your data is completely encrypted using SQLCipher/AES-256 before it ever leaves your device. Only you hold the key. • Optional Cross-Platform Cloud Sync Sync seamlessly between your mobile devices and your desktop companion app while maintaining total mathematical privacy. • Smart AI Features (Optional) Accelerate your workflow with optional, on-demand AI utilities for note summarizing and structuring, entirely controlled by your explicit consent. • Fast & Minimal Layout A clean interface focused entirely on execution performance — no clutter, no tracking, and no corporate background data harvesting. • Full Markdown Support & Clean Export Write efficiently with rich Markdown and easily export your data whenever you need it. Who is it for? Students, developers, and privacy-conscious users who want an uncompromising, elite text utility that prioritizes data ownership. Legal & Privacy Information: • Privacy Policy: [Insert Your Website Privacy Link] • Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Etched

Features
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Stop losing your own notes. Etched finds what you wrote by meaning — not just by keyword. Ask for "the note about slowing down to think" and it surfaces, even if those exact words were never written. Everything runs on your device. Write in plain markdown and watch it render as you type — no symbols, no preview pane, no modes. What you see is the file. Your notes stay portable .md, yours forever. FREE, and complete: • On-device semantic search — find notes by meaning • Live WYSIWYG markdown — bold, headings, lists, quotes, code • Tables, callouts, code blocks, footnotes, highlights, links • iCloud sync across your devices • Export to .md (raw or with rendered images), PDF, plain text ETCHED PRO — one-time purchase, yours forever: • Flashcards + spaced repetition — turn notes into memory • Diagrams from plain text (flowcharts, sequences, mind maps) • Typeset math and chemistry (LaTeX) • Charts from a few rows of data • Sheet music from ABC notation • Handwriting / sketches • Present mode — turn a note into full-screen slides • Per-note themes Reading every format is always free — Pro unlocks creating them. No subscription, ever. Pay once and keep it. Coming from Apple Notes, Obsidian, or Bear? Your markdown imports as plain .md, and you finally get search that finds notes by meaning — privately, with no account. Private by design: your notes never leave your devices except through your own iCloud. No account, no tracking, no ads. Your notes, etched in memory. — Made by Hyojin Mo. Support: support@vibeland.app

Screenshots

Annota Notes4 screens
Etched4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Annota Notes at none against Etched's 1. Annota Notes also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Etched's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Etched sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Annota Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Annota Notes ships an update every 5 days, Etched every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and July 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Annota Notes versus Etched: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnnota NotesEtched
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLiran SosnaSoyeon Noh

In-app purchases

None

Annota Notes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Etched

One-time1
  • Etched Pro$14.99

Questions

Is Annota Notes free?
Annota Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Etched free?
Etched is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Annota Notes or Etched have ads?
Neither Annota Notes nor Etched shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Annota Notes or Etched?
Annota Notes ships an update every 5 days, and Etched every 2 days. Most recently, Annota Notes was updated on September 13, 2026 and Etched on July 17, 2026.

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