Comparison

mdisco vs Marten

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

Head to head
About

mdisco

Features
Read full description

mdisco β€” A lighter Notion alternative. Save it in Markdown. Find it later. Built for the moment when Notion feels too heavy, Obsidian too plugin-hungry, and Google Keep stops finding what you wrote three weeks ago. Throw in URLs, notes, todos, and code as Markdown β€” then find them later by keyword or tag. Need to collaborate? Get Google-Docs-level real-time co-editing. β–  Capture anywhere - Mobile capture button auto-detects URLs, todos, notes - Inbox to triage in batches β–  Precise search - Keyword Β· tag Β· folder Β· title β€” instant, full-text across every note - Edits and deletions stay searchable through version history β–  Markdown editor - One-tap toggle between WYSIWYG and raw Markdown source - Autosave + automatic version history β€” roll back anytime - Dark mode Β· 5 languages (English Β· ν•œκ΅­μ–΄ Β· ζ—₯本θͺž Β· δΈ­ζ–‡ Β· EspaΓ±ol) β–  Collaborate - Invite to a workspace or share by link - Read-only or edit permissions - Real-time co-editing (Pro) β–  Sync everywhere - The same notes on every device - Localized push notifications for new activity - Offline indicator β–  Private by default - Nothing leaves your workspace until you explicitly share - Email signup with verification, Apple & Google sign-in - Granular read / edit permissions β–  Use cases - Researchers β€” papers, clippings, interview notes - Designers β€” references and decisions - Engineers β€” code snippets, architecture, on-call logs - PMs β€” PRDs, meeting notes, OKR wiki - Students β€” lectures, assignments, exam summaries - Writers β€” from idea to draft Stop juggling seven apps to take one note. One mdisco is enough.

About

Marten

Features
Read full description

Marten is a clean, distraction-free note app built for developers. Write in Markdown with syntax-highlighted code blocks, then turn any note into a project with just the tabs you need. Keep a plain note, or add API keys, secrets, passwords, social logins, links, references, and checklists. Each filled tab becomes an item, so one note holds everything about a project. FEATURES Markdown editor Fenced code blocks with an olive, editor-style highlight. Toggle a live preview anytime. Project tabs Note, List, API, Ref, Link, Secret, Password, and Social. Add only the tabs you want with a tap. Secrets vault Store API keys, passwords, and accounts with masked fields and a quick reveal. Checklists Reminders-style lists with tap-to-complete items. Tags and search Organize with #hashtags and find anything instantly with full-text search. Sync, your way Local-first storage that works offline, with optional cloud sync across your devices. Turn sync on or off whenever you want. Built for every screen A native app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with an adaptive three-column layout on iPad and Mac. Light and dark themes. Private by design Your notes are yours. No ads, no tracking, and you can delete your account and all data from inside the app at any time. Marketing URL: https://marten.kodefoundry.com Privacy Policy URL: https://marten.kodefoundry.com/privacy

Screenshots

mdisco4 screens
Marten4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: mdisco at every 4 days against Marten's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

mdisco ships an update every 4 days, Marten every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
mdisco versus Marten: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermdiscoMarten
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days β€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size19 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developertapahalabjoseph hamawi

In-app purchases

None

mdisco

No in-app purchases

None

Marten

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is mdisco free?
mdisco is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Marten free?
Marten is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do mdisco or Marten have ads?
Neither mdisco nor Marten shows ads.
Which is updated more often, mdisco or Marten?
mdisco ships an update every 4 days, and Marten every 2 months. Most recently, mdisco was updated on November 5, 2026 and Marten on October 28, 2026.

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