# Zirbe vs ZenNotes

The clearest difference is update cadence: ZenNotes at every 2 days against Zirbe's every 6 weeks. ZenNotes also leads on ratings volume (11 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Zirbe against 4.9 for ZenNotes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZenNotes has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Zirbe ships an update every 6 weeks, ZenNotes every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zirbe | ZenNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zirbe-email-as-chat/id6778170645/reviews)** | [4.9 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zennotes-markdown-notes/id6791751575/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 17 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Excelano LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772653375) | [Lumary Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874151885) |

## What reviewers say

### Zirbe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zirbe-email-as-chat/id6778170645)

This email client reimagines your inbox as a familiar chat interface, organizing threads by subject and messages as bubbles. It offers full email functionality, including attachments, drafts, and organization, while prioritizing privacy and offline access. The app connects directly to your IMAP/SMTP servers without any Zirbe servers.

**Highlights:** Chat-style email interface, Organized threads by subject, Offline access and instant inbox, Attachment support (photos, files, voice), Full email client functionality, Privacy-focused, no Zirbe servers, Open-source code

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ZenNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zennotes-markdown-notes/id6791751575)

This app allows you to create and manage notes using plain Markdown files. It offers flexible storage options, rich text formatting with live previews, and powerful organization tools like task management and note linking. Designed for both phone and tablet, it prioritizes user privacy with no accounts or tracking.

**Highlights:** Plain Markdown file storage, Live rich text previews, Wikilinks and #tags, Vault-wide task management, Table databases as CSV, Excalidraw drawing support, Share extension for quick capture

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zirbe free?

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

### Is ZenNotes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Zirbe or ZenNotes?

Zirbe is rated higher. Zirbe averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ZenNotes averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.

### Do Zirbe or ZenNotes have ads?

Neither Zirbe nor ZenNotes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zirbe or ZenNotes?

Zirbe ships an update every 6 weeks, and ZenNotes every 2 days. Most recently, Zirbe was updated on October 11, 2026 and ZenNotes on October 10, 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.*