Etched vs Marten
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Etched
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Stop losing your own notes. Etched finds what you wrote by meaning β not just by keyword. Ask for "the note about slowing down to think" and it surfaces, even if those exact words were never written. Everything runs on your device. Write in plain markdown and watch it render as you type β no symbols, no preview pane, no modes. What you see is the file. Your notes stay portable .md, yours forever. FREE, and complete: β’ On-device semantic search β find notes by meaning β’ Live WYSIWYG markdown β bold, headings, lists, quotes, code β’ Tables, callouts, code blocks, footnotes, highlights, links β’ iCloud sync across your devices β’ Export to .md (raw or with rendered images), PDF, plain text ETCHED PRO β one-time purchase, yours forever: β’ Flashcards + spaced repetition β turn notes into memory β’ Diagrams from plain text (flowcharts, sequences, mind maps) β’ Typeset math and chemistry (LaTeX) β’ Charts from a few rows of data β’ Sheet music from ABC notation β’ Handwriting / sketches β’ Present mode β turn a note into full-screen slides β’ Per-note themes Reading every format is always free β Pro unlocks creating them. No subscription, ever. Pay once and keep it. Coming from Apple Notes, Obsidian, or Bear? Your markdown imports as plain .md, and you finally get search that finds notes by meaning β privately, with no account. Private by design: your notes never leave your devices except through your own iCloud. No account, no tracking, no ads. Your notes, etched in memory. β Made by Hyojin Mo. Support: support@vibeland.app
Marten
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Marten is a clean, distraction-free note app built for developers. Write in Markdown with syntax-highlighted code blocks, then turn any note into a project with just the tabs you need. Keep a plain note, or add API keys, secrets, passwords, social logins, links, references, and checklists. Each filled tab becomes an item, so one note holds everything about a project. FEATURES Markdown editor Fenced code blocks with an olive, editor-style highlight. Toggle a live preview anytime. Project tabs Note, List, API, Ref, Link, Secret, Password, and Social. Add only the tabs you want with a tap. Secrets vault Store API keys, passwords, and accounts with masked fields and a quick reveal. Checklists Reminders-style lists with tap-to-complete items. Tags and search Organize with #hashtags and find anything instantly with full-text search. Sync, your way Local-first storage that works offline, with optional cloud sync across your devices. Turn sync on or off whenever you want. Built for every screen A native app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with an adaptive three-column layout on iPad and Mac. Light and dark themes. Private by design Your notes are yours. No ads, no tracking, and you can delete your account and all data from inside the app at any time. Marketing URL: https://marten.kodefoundry.com Privacy Policy URL: https://marten.kodefoundry.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Marten at none against Etched's 1. Etched's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Etched sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Marten asks for nothing beyond the download.
Etched ships an update every 2 days, Marten weekly. The most recent releases landed on July 17, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Etched | Marten |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days β better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 87 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Soyeon Noh | joseph hamawi |
In-app purchases
Etched
- Etched Pro$14.99
Marten
No in-app purchases





