Comparison

Notelane vs MathNote

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

Head to head
About

Notelane

This app allows you to write and edit notes using markdown with live formatting. It stores your notes as standard .md files in any folder you choose, including cloud storage, and offers features like wikilinks, tags, revision history, and note statistics.

Highlights
  • Live markdown rendering
  • Supports local and cloud storage
  • Wikilinks for note connection
  • Tag-based organization
  • Revision history
  • PDF export
  • Note statistics
Features
Read full description

Write in markdown and see your formatting come to life as you type — headings, bold, italic, links, code blocks, checklists, and more — all rendered inline. Your files. Your folders. Your way. Notelane works directly with the files on your device. On first launch, pick any folder — local storage, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or any connected cloud provider visible in the Files app. Your notes stay as standard .md files, fully portable and never locked in. Write with clarity A distraction-free editor with live formatting that renders your markdown as you type. No toggle between "edit" and "preview" — just write. Store notes anywhere Pick any folder on your device or in the cloud. Notelane works with iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or any storage provider visible in the Files app. Connect your thinking Link notes together with [[wikilinks]] and organize with #tags to build your own personal knowledge base — no complex setup required. Stay in control Revision history lets you restore previous versions of any note. PDF export and sharing are built in. A trash bin keeps deleted notes recoverable. Organize your way Nested folders, pinning, and tag-based filtering keep everything tidy. A clean sidebar puts your entire library one tap away. Note statistics Word count, character count, paragraphs, and estimated reading time — always available at a glance. Your writing deserves a home that respects simplicity. Notelane is that home.

About

MathNote

A document editor for researchers and students that supports live rendering of LaTeX and Markdown notes with full math capabilities. It integrates with AI apps, allowing you to bundle notes, photos, and PDFs for analysis and verification.

Highlights
  • Live preview with KaTeX math rendering
  • LaTeX and Markdown editing
  • Attach photos and reference PDFs
  • LaTeX-friendly keyboard
  • Diff panel for change review
  • Ask AI for proof verification and reformatting
  • Customizable prompts for AI assistance
Features
Read full description

MathNote is a document editor for researchers and students who write in LaTeX or Markdown. It renders your notes live with full math support — theorems, proofs, equations, matrices — powered by KaTeX. Ask AI lets you bundle your source, photos, and reference PDFs into a single file and hand it off to any AI app on your device via the iOS share sheet. Six built-in prompts help you verify proofs, find counterexamples, fill gaps, reformat notes, and more. Create your own custom prompts, too. Features: • Live preview with KaTeX math rendering • LaTeX and Markdown editing with syntax-aware toolbar • Attach photos and reference PDFs to your notes • LaTeX-friendly keyboard • Diff panel to review changes between edits • LaTeX and Markdown editing with syntax-aware toolbar • Customizable preamble, macro, and snippet • Ask AI: one-tap bundling and share to any AI app. • Six research-tuned prompt cards plus custom prompts MacOS version is available on https://github.com/kihun-nam/MathNote-releases. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://github.com/kihun-nam/MathNote-releases/blob/main/PRIVACY.md

Screenshots

Notelane4 screens
MathNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notelane at none against MathNote's 2. Notelane also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support 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. MathNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Notelane asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Notelane against 5.0 for MathNote. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Notelane versus MathNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotelaneMathNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAsterios Digital GmbHKihun Nam

Customer experience

Notelane

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

MathNote

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

In-app purchases

None

Notelane

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MathNote

Subscriptions2
  • Ask AI Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Ask AI Annual7 Days trial$12.991 Year

Questions

Is Notelane free?
Notelane is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MathNote free?
MathNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notelane or MathNote?
Notelane and MathNote are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Notelane or MathNote have ads?
Neither Notelane nor MathNote shows ads.

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