# Notes Den vs markdown notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notes Den at none against markdown notes's 3. Notes Den also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). markdown notes's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. markdown notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Notes Den asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notes Den ships an update every 5 days, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Den | markdown notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/id6792438749/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 43 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Den Digital LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882372039) | [BaconWorks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783126115) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes Den

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-den/id6778819317)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### markdown notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/id6792438749)

A minimalist Markdown editor that stores all your notes as plain text files, accessible across your devices. It offers beautiful writing tools, seamless cloud sync, and powerful organization features without any bloat.

**Highlights:** Plain .md file storage, iCloud Drive sync, Markdown syntax highlighting, Task list checkboxes, Folder and instant search organization, Menu bar app on Mac, Export to PDF, HTML, RTF (Pro)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smolpad Pro | $1.49 | per month |
| Smolpad Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Smolpad Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Den free?

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

### Is markdown notes free?

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

### Do Notes Den or markdown notes have ads?

Neither Notes Den nor markdown notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Den or markdown notes?

Notes Den ships an update every 5 days, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Notes Den was updated on September 30, 2026 and markdown notes 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.*