# Menu Bar Notes vs Carbon

The clearest difference is device support: Menu Bar Notes at 4 against Carbon's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Menu Bar Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Carbon every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Menu Bar Notes | Carbon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/menu-bar-notes-quick-capture/id6765811018/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Olamide Ojumu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896084524) | [BMP Research LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6798390657) |

## What reviewers say

### Menu Bar Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/menu-bar-notes-quick-capture/id6765811018)

Quickly capture thoughts, edit them across devices, and organize with markdown blocks and tabs. Notes sync privately via iCloud, with a 30-day trash recovery option. No accounts or data collection required.

**Highlights:** Block editor with markdown shortcuts, Collapsible toggle blocks, Tabbed notes with keyboard navigation, iCloud sync across devices, Menu bar quick capture on Mac, 30-day trash recovery

**In-app purchases:** none


### Carbon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carbon-calendar-mirror/id6800547558)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Menu Bar Notes free?

Menu Bar Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Carbon free?

Carbon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Menu Bar Notes or Carbon have ads?

Neither Menu Bar Notes nor Carbon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Menu Bar Notes or Carbon?

Menu Bar Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Carbon every 9 days. Most recently, Menu Bar Notes was updated on October 19, 2026 and Carbon on October 10, 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.*