# Raven vs Smolpad

The clearest difference is price: Smolpad at Free against Raven's $19.99. Smolpad also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Raven's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Smolpad is free to download; Raven costs $19.99 up front. Smolpad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Raven asks for nothing beyond the download.

Smolpad holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Raven ships an update every 3 days, Smolpad every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Raven | Smolpad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raven-markdown-notes-and-editor/id6761693183/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smolpad-markdown-notes/id6792438749/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 126 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Sivilay](https://appshunter.io/developer/936509766) | [BaconWorks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783126115) |

## What reviewers say

### Raven

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raven-markdown-notes-and-editor/id6761693183)

Create, organize, and manage notes using Markdown on your Apple devices. Turn checkboxes into actionable tasks with local reminders. Your notes are stored locally, ensuring offline access and no vendor lock-in.

**Highlights:** Native Markdown editor, Create notes with tables, images, code blocks, Checkboxes to tasks with due dates, Local reminders for tasks, Offline access, iCloud Drive sync, Full-text search

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smolpad

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

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:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo 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 Raven free?

Raven costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Smolpad free?

Smolpad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Raven or Smolpad?

Smolpad is rated higher. Raven averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Smolpad averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Raven or Smolpad have ads?

Neither Raven nor Smolpad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Raven or Smolpad?

Raven ships an update every 3 days, and Smolpad every 10 days. Most recently, Raven was updated on October 31, 2026 and Smolpad on October 31, 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.*