Comparison

Ashnote vs BlackNote

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

Head to head
About

Ashnote

Features
Read full description

ASHnote is a local-first markdown notes and journaling app for personal use. All notes are saved directly on your device as plain text files. No account is required, and no data is sent to any server unless you choose to set up iCloud or Git sync. Key features - Markdown editor with slash commands and a formatting toolbar - Folder structure with custom emoji icons - Calendar and journal views for daily note organization - Mood and weather icons for journaling - Tags and favorites for quick filtering - Pin important notes to the top - Full-text search - Optional iCloud sync to keep notes across Apple devices - Optional Git sync to back up notes to a Git repository - Fully offline capable Privacy-first You can use ASHnote without logging in. Unless you explicitly enable iCloud or Git sync, no data is transmitted to our servers. ASHnote offers all core note-taking features for free, with an optional auto-renewable premium subscription that unlocks additional features. ASHnote Premium (Auto-Renewable Subscription) - Monthly: US$2.99/month - Yearly: US$24.99/year Premium subscription includes: - Version history - Sticky notes - Multiple vaults - Export and sharing (PDF, HTML, ZIP) - AI assistant Payment will be charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Terms of Use: https://note.sunteq.net/terms Privacy Policy: https://note.sunteq.net/privacy

About

BlackNote

Features
Read full description

Make room for your ideas on black paper. BlackNote brings handwriting and text together in a minimal notebook. β€’ Pan and zoom freely on infinite paper β€’ A4, Letter, screen-sized and custom pages β€’ Apple Pencil handwriting with pen and eraser tools β€’ Text, photos and device wireframe stickers β€’ Folders and favorites to organize documents β€’ Export PDFs and share editable original documents Black backgrounds are designed with OLED displays in mind. Actual power use depends on your device, brightness, content and usage. No fixed power savings are guaranteed. Support: alsrb5412@gmail.com β€’ Switch between handwriting notebooks and text memos β€’ Organize memos with checklists, tables, tags and folders β€’ Attach photos, document scans and recordings β€’ Turn on optional iCloud sync for notebooks and memos Locked memos stay on the device and do not sync with iCloud. Integration with Apple Notes is not supported.

Screenshots

Ashnote4 screens
BlackNote3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BlackNote at none against Ashnote's 2. Ashnote's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days) and device support (5 vs 2). On price and ads 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. Ashnote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. BlackNote asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ashnote ships an update every 4 days, BlackNote every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
Ashnote versus BlackNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAshnoteBlackNote
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days β€” betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 β€” better17.5
Further details β€” not scored
Size46 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSanghoon Ahnmingyu kim

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Ashnote

Subscriptions2
  • ASHnote Premium$2.991 Month
  • ASHnote Premium (Yearly)$24.991 Year
None

BlackNote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ashnote free?
Ashnote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BlackNote free?
BlackNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ashnote or BlackNote have ads?
Neither Ashnote nor BlackNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ashnote or BlackNote?
Ashnote ships an update every 4 days, and BlackNote every 9 days. Most recently, Ashnote was updated on October 25, 2026 and BlackNote on October 29, 2026.

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