# Musing Notes vs FlatNote

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FlatNote at none against Musing Notes's 2. FlatNote also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Musing Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (7 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Musing Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. FlatNote asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Musing Notes against 5.0 for FlatNote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Musing Notes has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Musing Notes ships an update every 3 days, FlatNote every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Musing Notes | FlatNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musing-notes/id6777539170/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flatnote/id6781590712/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RIPUL JAIN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887260700) | [Kate Benediktsson](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781590714) |

## What reviewers say

### Musing Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musing-notes/id6777539170)

Capture and find notes using natural language search, voice input, and image recognition. This app organizes your thoughts without traditional folders or tags, making it ideal for creative individuals on the go.

**Highlights:** Natural language search, Voice to text transcription, Image recognition for notes, Contextual note capture (location, time), Web search integration, Distraction-free interface

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Musing Plus | $2.99 | per month |
| Musing Pro | $9.99 | per month |


### FlatNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flatnote/id6781590712)

This app allows you to create and organize notes using markdown formatting. It offers live formatting, image support, and robust organization features. Your notes are stored as plain files and sync via iCloud across your Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Live markdown formatting, Image embedding in notes, Folder organization and pinning, Real checkboxes, In-note search, Cross-device iCloud sync, Plain .md file export

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Musing Notes free?

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

### Is FlatNote free?

FlatNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Musing Notes or FlatNote?

FlatNote is rated higher. Musing Notes averages 4.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while FlatNote averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Musing Notes or FlatNote have ads?

Neither Musing Notes nor FlatNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Musing Notes or FlatNote?

Musing Notes ships an update every 3 days, and FlatNote every 2 months. Most recently, Musing Notes was updated on October 18, 2026 and FlatNote on October 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*