Comparison

Neatbase vs markdown notes

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

Head to head
About

Neatbase

Organize your life with a personal database that feels like a notes app. Create custom CRMs, inventory trackers, or collection managers with structured fields and multiple views. Your data is private, native, and synced via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Customizable notebooks with structured fields
  • Card and spreadsheet-style table views
  • Offline functionality and iCloud sync
  • 27+ field types including images and formulas
  • Real-time collaboration (Pro)
  • Web form creation (Pro)
  • REST API access (Pro)
Features
Read full description

The personal database that feels like a notes app. Build your own CRM, inventory, contact book, or any other collection in minutes — native, private, and synced with iCloud. Most notes apps give you a blank page. Neatbase gives you structure. Create a notebook, choose its fields, and adding notes becomes as easy as filling out a form. View everything as clean cards or a spreadsheet-style table — sort, filter, and group to see exactly what matters. WHAT WILL YOU BUILD? - A lightweight CRM — leads, deals, follow-ups, activity logs - A home inventory — photos, prices, barcodes - A client directory — tap to call, tap to email - A project plan — statuses, due dates, progress - A content calendar planned around publish dates - An expense log with categories and receipt photos - A library of your books, movies, and recipes — rated and tagged If you can describe it, you can collect it in Neatbase. A FIELD FOR EVERYTHING Choose from 27 field types: text and numbers, currency, dates with reminders, toggles, star ratings, color-coded tags, dropdowns, images, checklists, colors, durations, percent bars, barcodes and QR codes, tap-to-call phone and tap-to-email fields, secrets locked behind Face ID or Touch ID, buttons that open URLs — plus formulas, cross-notebook references, and comment threads with Pro. Change your mind anytime: add, rename, or reorder fields, and every existing note updates instantly. TWO VIEWS, ONE NOTEBOOK Browse and edit in a clean card view, or switch to a full table — resize and reorder columns, edit inline, copy and paste, navigate with the keyboard. Each notebook remembers your view, filters, and sorting. TRULY NATIVE. ACTUALLY FAST. Built in SwiftUI for iPhone, iPad, and Mac — one download covers all three. It launches instantly, works fully offline, and syncs through iCloud. No account to create, no password, no onboarding. Most database apps are websites in a wrapper — Neatbase feels like it shipped with your device. YOUR DATA IS NOBODY'S BUSINESS Your notes live on your device and sync securely through your own iCloud. No tracking, no analytics, no ads. Export everything to CSV anytime — even on the free plan. Your data is always yours. SHARE A NOTEBOOK WITH A LINK (PRO) Send one link and up to 10 people can collaborate in real time — no accounts, no sign-up screens. Shared notebooks are end-to-end encrypted; the server never sees your data. TURN ANY NOTEBOOK INTO A WEB FORM (PRO) Publish a form in a few taps. Anyone with the link can submit from any browser, and responses land in your notebook automatically. Add your logo, pick an accent color, share the link. Perfect for intake forms, signups, surveys, orders, and RSVPs. AUTOMATE WITH THE REST API (PRO) Every notebook can expose its own REST API, with documentation generated from your actual field names. Read and write notes from scripts, shortcuts, and automations. FREE TO USE, FAIR TO UPGRADE Free includes 3 notebooks with 100 notes each, both views, iCloud sync, groups, templates, and CSV export. Neatbase Pro unlocks unlimited notebooks and notes, sharing, web forms, the REST API, and advanced fields — one simple yearly subscription, Family Sharing included. ALSO INCLUDED Notebook templates, Spotlight search, Home Screen widgets, reminders on date fields, nested groups, pinning, keyboard navigation, and custom icons for every notebook. Don't settle for a blank page. Collect and organize anything, your way. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://neatbase.com/privacy

About

markdown notes

Features
Read full description

Smolpad is a smol Markdown editor with respect for your files. Every note is a plain .md file you can open with any app, on any device, forever. Your files are your own. No database. No lock-in. No bloat. Just a tiny, fast home for your notes on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. WRITE IN MARKDOWN, BEAUTIFULLY • Syntax dims as you type, or hides away entirely with one tap • Task lists become real checkboxes. Checkboxes that check. • Headings, bold, italic, code, and quotes, styled as you write • A formatting bar for common touches, plus full keyboard shortcuts • Pictures too: drag or paste one in, resize it by its corner, and it lives as a plain file beside the note YOUR FILES, ANYWHERE • Notes sync through your own iCloud Drive, included free • Open your notes folder in Finder or Files any time • Organize with folders, pins, and instant search • Nothing ever leaves your devices except to your own cloud SMOL ON PURPOSE • On the Mac, Smolpad lives in your menu bar, one hotkey away • Tear off a note into its own window when you want to stay a while • On iPhone and iPad, it opens fast and stays out of your way • Seven hand-picked fonts and a clean, quiet interface MAKE IT YOURS WITH SMOLPAD PRO • Unlimited notes (the free tier includes ten) • Dropbox sync, in an app folder that belongs to you • Twenty-nine editor themes, from Tokyo Night to Catppuccin • Seventeen app icons and the full menu bar icon set Smolpad Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. The free tier is a real notes app, not a trial. Made by a smol team that believes plain text outlives everything. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://smolpad.com/privacy

Screenshots

Neatbase4 screens
markdown notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Neatbase at every 2 days against markdown notes's every 10 days. markdown notes's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neatbase sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $34.99 per year and markdown notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Neatbase ships an update every 2 days, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Neatbase versus markdown notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeatbasemarkdown notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.418.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeb FontanBaconWorks, LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Neatbase

Subscriptions1
  • Neatbase Pro$34.991 Year
3 purchases

markdown notes

Subscriptions2
  • Smolpad Pro$1.491 Month
  • Smolpad Pro$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Smolpad Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Neatbase free?
Neatbase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is markdown notes free?
markdown notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Neatbase or markdown notes have ads?
Neither Neatbase nor markdown notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Neatbase or markdown notes?
Neatbase ships an update every 2 days, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Neatbase was updated on September 30, 2026 and markdown notes on September 24, 2026.

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