# Raven vs markdown notes

The clearest difference is price: markdown notes at Free against Raven's $19.99. markdown notes 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.

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

markdown notes 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, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Raven | markdown notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raven-markdown-notes/id6761693183/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/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 | 123 MB | 73 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/id6761693183)

This app allows you to quickly open and write markdown notes as plain .md files. It offers fast launch times, native performance on iPhone and Mac, and seamless syncing between devices. Your notes are stored directly in your file system for easy access and integration with other tools.

**Highlights:** Plain .md file storage, Under a second launch time, Native iPhone and Mac app, Full-text search, Nested folders and pinned notes, Syncs between Mac and iPhone

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Raven free?

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

### Is markdown notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Raven or markdown notes?

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

### Do Raven or markdown notes have ads?

Neither Raven nor markdown notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Raven or markdown notes?

Raven ships an update every 3 days, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Raven was updated on October 28, 2026 and markdown notes on October 24, 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.*