# Benchpad vs Etched

The clearest difference is update cadence: Etched at every 2 days against Benchpad's fortnightly. Benchpad's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Benchpad sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year and Etched sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Benchpad ships an update fortnightly, Etched every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Benchpad | Etched |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Size | 113 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gagandeep Singh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864104544) | [Soyeon Noh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1201270238) |

## What reviewers say

### Benchpad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/benchpad-scratchpad-notes/id6766779528)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Benchpad Pro | $9.99 | per year |


### Etched

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etched-markdown-notes/id6780505987)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Etched Pro | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Benchpad free?

Benchpad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Etched free?

Etched is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Benchpad or Etched have ads?

Neither Benchpad nor Etched shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Benchpad or Etched?

Benchpad ships an update fortnightly, and Etched every 2 days. Most recently, Benchpad was updated on September 28, 2026 and Etched on September 23, 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.*