Comparison

SteelNote vs Last Time

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

Head to head
About

SteelNote

This app stores your notes as plain Markdown files on your device, ensuring you always own your data. It offers seamless syncing across Apple devices, instant search, and robust import options from other note-taking applications.

Highlights
  • Plain Markdown file storage
  • iCloud sync across Apple devices
  • Local full-text search
  • Import from multiple note apps
  • Link notes and see backlinks
  • Organize with folders and tags
  • Mark notes as private
Read full description

SteelNote is a notes app built on one promise: your notes are plain Markdown files that you own. Every note is a real .md file on your device, openable in the Files app or in any editor you like, today and years from now. No proprietary database. Nothing locked away. Your notes, truly yours. Because every note is plain text, you are never trapped. Read and edit them in SteelNote, in Files, or in any other Markdown app. If you ever move on, you take your files with you as they are, in an open format that lasts. Native on all your Apple devices. SteelNote is built natively for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Your notes sync across all of them through iCloud, with no third party account and no extra sign in. Start a note on your phone and finish it on your Mac. Find anything, instantly. A local full text index makes search immediate, even in large libraries. Link notes together, see backlinks, organize with folders and tags, and turn any line into a task. Private when you want it. Mark a note as private and it stays out of widgets and AI features. Your most sensitive notes remain yours alone. Bring everything with you. Import from Bear, Notion, Obsidian and Evernote, or from Markdown, TextBundle, Word, RTF, PDF and CSV files. Your folders and structure come along. Apple Notes works too, one note at a time, because Apple offers no bulk export. Everything you expect. Add images, PDFs and tables inline. Use checklists, footnotes and links. Reach your notes from Spotlight, Siri and widgets, and hand off between devices. An open format, now standard. Markdown is a first class type across Apple platforms, and SteelNote is built natively around it. Your files are open, portable and yours. Membership. SteelNote comes with a 14 day free trial, then a yearly plan or a one time lifetime purchase. You can cancel during the trial and pay nothing, or skip the subscription and choose the lifetime purchase instead. Sync is always included and never restricted. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. A yearly plan renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://steelnoteapp.com/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Last Time

Features
Read full description

Not everything belongs on a daily to-do list. When did you last change the sheets, call your parents, clean the coffee machine or check the car? Last Time gives occasional activities a simple place to live. Create an activity and record it with one tap. At a glance, you can see how long it has been and the exact date of the last entry. Every entry stays in the history, where you can correct the date and add a note. USE LAST TIME TO β€’ See the activities waiting longest at the top β€’ Record β€œDone now” or choose a past date and time β€’ Keep a complete history with optional notes β€’ Organize activities into personal categories β€’ Choose colors and symbols for quicker recognition β€’ Set personal reminders after the interval you choose β€’ Check important activities from the Home Screen widget β€’ Archive activities without losing their history β€’ Export and import individual activities β€’ Share activities and their history through iCloud sharing groups NO PRESSURE, JUST CONTEXT Last Time is not built around streaks or a rigid schedule. It helps you remember what happened, so you can decide what should happen next. START FREE Use up to five active activities for free. A one-time purchase unlocks unlimited activities permanentlyβ€”no subscription. Archived activities do not count toward the free limit. iCloud features require an Apple Account and iCloud availability.

Screenshots

SteelNote4 screens
Last Time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Last Time at none against SteelNote's 3. SteelNote's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. SteelNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Last Time asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SteelNote ships an update every 4 days, Last Time fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
SteelNote versus Last Time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSteelNoteLast Time
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 4 days β€” betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size17 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperClaude BezeaudValgy

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SteelNote

Subscriptions1
  • Annual14 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time2
  • Founder$44.99
  • Lifetime$79.99
None

Last Time

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SteelNote free?
SteelNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Last Time free?
Last Time is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SteelNote or Last Time have ads?
Neither SteelNote nor Last Time shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SteelNote or Last Time?
SteelNote ships an update every 4 days, and Last Time fortnightly. Most recently, SteelNote was updated on October 14, 2026 and Last Time on October 7, 2026.

Other comparisons