Comparison

Folio vs Pellet

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
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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

Pellet

Read full description

Pellet keeps your notes as plain markdown files in a folder you own. No account, no server, no proprietary format β€” open the same folder in any other editor and everything is still there. AN EDITOR THAT STAYS OUT OF THE WAY Write in markdown with live preview, wiki-style links between notes, backlinks, tags and full-text search. Your vault is just files, so nothing is trapped behind an export button. A TASK MANAGER THAT LIVES IN YOUR NOTES Tasks are ordinary markdown files with front matter, so a task can be a note and a note can be a task. Due dates, recurrence, subtasks, checklists and kanban boards β€” all reading from the same folder. CALENDAR ALONGSIDE YOUR WORK See your day next to your notes. Connect Google Calendar or your existing calendar accounts, or work entirely offline with dated notes. CANVAS, HANDWRITING AND VOICE Sketch on an infinite canvas, write by hand with Apple Pencil, and record voice notes. Handwriting and recordings can be turned into searchable text so they join the rest of your vault instead of sitting in a corner. SYNC YOU CONTROL Sync between your devices is end-to-end encrypted and runs through a relay you choose or host yourself. There is no Pellet account and no Pellet server holding your notes. WORKS OFFLINE, ALWAYS Everything works with no network. Nothing is fetched to open a note, and nothing phones home. Pellet reads and writes ordinary markdown, so it fits alongside whatever else you already use.

Screenshots

Folio4 screens
Pellet4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pellet at none against Folio's 1. On price, update cadence, ads 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. Pellet asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Folio ships an update every 3 weeks, Pellet monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Folio versus Pellet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFolioPellet
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks β€” betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, MaciPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size44 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDinh Bao Thang DuongBuildraai LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Folio

One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$9.99
None

Pellet

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pellet free?
Pellet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Folio or Pellet have ads?
Neither Folio nor Pellet shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Folio or Pellet?
Folio ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pellet monthly. Most recently, Folio was updated on September 30, 2026 and Pellet on October 3, 2026.

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