Comparison

Folio vs Nowio

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

Head to head
About

Folio

Features
Read full description

Folio is a local-first library for Markdown and plain text on Mac. Bring notes and docs into one place, organize them with folders and tags, explore connections with Link Map, and write with private on-device assistanceβ€”without juggling loose files in the Finder. Library & organization β€’ Import Markdown and text via the file picker, drag-and-drop, or Import from Git Link for public GitHub repositories and individual files. β€’ Needs Organizing gives new imports a clear inbox before you file them. β€’ Folders and nested structures help you group work the way you think. β€’ Tags cut across folders so you can filter by topic or project. β€’ Pinned favorites and Recently Opened put what you need one click away. Explore connections β€’ Link Map visualizes connections between your notes. β€’ Follow links to explore related ideas and navigate your library from a new perspective. Reading & writing β€’ Use Editor, Preview, or Split View to draft and see rendered Markdown side by side. β€’ Use Writing Assistant to refine drafts, improve wording, and turn rough ideas into clearer notes with private on-device help. β€’ Find text within the current document. β€’ Sort notes by title, date added, last opened, and more. β€’ Search across your library from the sidebar. Share & export β€’ Share notes as Markdown or plain text. β€’ Export documents to a folder you choose in Finder. Whether you’re collecting research, drafting READMEs, or building a personal knowledge base, Folio keeps your Markdown connected, organized, searchable, and easy to revisit.

About

Nowio

Features
Read full description

Nowio gives every day its own page. Everything you write is encrypted on your device before it syncs. No account, no server of ours in between β€” your journal stays yours. Write down what happens while it happens, tick things off, and let a quick line grow into something structured. Notes, tasks and events live on the same page instead of in three different apps. A PAGE FOR EVERY DAY Open Nowio and today is already there. Come back to any day whenever you need it. NOTES AND TASKS TOGETHER Text, checklists, bullets, quotes and events in one place. Anything still open yesterday moves itself to today, so nothing quietly disappears. IT GROWS WITH THE THOUGHT Any entry can hold sub-entries. Start with a line, end with a document. Link entries to each other, tag them with #hashtags, or mark them Important, Work, Personal, Idea or Someday and filter by that. PHOTOS, VOICE AND MORE Add photos and video inline. Record a voice note and it turns into text by itself. YOUR CALENDAR, IN CONTEXT The day's events appear on the matching page. Nowio only reads them β€” nothing is changed or stored. ON-DEVICE INTELLIGENCE Rewrite a paragraph, summarize an entry, or pull the tasks out of a wall of text with Apple Intelligence, without your words leaving the device. SPACES Keep work, personal life and each project apart. Invite someone into a space and write the day together. WIDGETS AND MORE Today's note and tasks on your Home Screen, tickable without opening the app. A Live Activity while the day is running. Reminders, Spotlight search, Siri shortcuts and a share extension. YOURS, AND ONLY YOURS No account, no sign-up, no tracking, no ads. Your notes live on your device and sync through your own iCloud. There is no server of ours in between, and we cannot read a word of it. NOWIO PRO Nowio is free and unlimited for notes, tasks and everything about writing. Nowio Pro adds more spaces, shared spaces, Apple Intelligence, voice transcription, recurring tasks, your own templates and PDF export. Privacy Policy: https://todo-eight-sigma-63.vercel.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://todo-eight-sigma-63.vercel.app/terms

Screenshots

Folio4 screens
Nowio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Nowio at every 4 days against Folio's every 3 weeks. Folio's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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. Folio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nowio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Folio ships an update every 3 weeks, Nowio every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Folio versus Nowio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFolioNowio
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, Mac β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size44 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDinh Bao Thang DuongMuhammed Karayazi

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Folio

One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$9.99
2 purchases

Nowio

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly – AI Organizer$5.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly – AI Organizer7 Days trial$44.991 Year

Questions

Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nowio free?
Nowio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Folio or Nowio have ads?
Neither Folio nor Nowio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Folio or Nowio?
Folio ships an update every 3 weeks, and Nowio every 4 days. Most recently, Folio was updated on November 5, 2026 and Nowio on October 29, 2026.

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