Comparison

Project Notebook + 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

Project Notebook +

Features
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Every project deserves to be remembered. Whether you're a designer, engineer, educator, maker, photographer, or event organiser — you always have projects in motion. But too often, ideas end up scattered across sticky notes, chat threads, voice memos, and emails. By the time you look back, the context is lost and the process is impossible to recreate. Project Notebook was built to change that. It's a structured digital notebook designed for people who make things — giving every step, every material, and every decision a clear and permanent home, from the first spark of an idea to the final deliverable. Who Is It For? Project Notebook is the perfect companion for anyone working on any type of project, including: • Creative projects — branding, illustration, photography, video production • Engineering & technical work — hardware development, circuit design, software features • Education & curriculum design — STEAM lessons, workshops, teaching materials • Event planning & execution — exhibitions, performances, community events • Hobbies & handcraft — 3D printing, woodworking, sewing, cooking experiments • Work tasks & business projects — proposals, reports, client deliverables Core Features • Step-by-Step Documentation Break your project into clear, ordered steps. Attach photos, videos, and handwritten notes (with Apple Pencil support) to each step, so the entire process is captured in full detail. • Bill of Materials (BOM) Record every material, component, or resource you need — with name, quantity, specification, and notes — so procurement and preparation are always organised. • Project Status Tracking Tag each project as Idea, In Progress, Paused, or Completed. Filter and sort your project list to stay on top of what matters most. • Reflection & Review After completing a project, capture what worked, what was challenging, and what you'd do differently next time. Turn every experience into a lesson for the future. • Export as a Web Page Export any project as a fully self-contained HTML page, bundled with all attachments into a single ZIP file — ready to share with teammates, clients, or archive for future reference. How to Use 1. Create a project — Enter a title, description, choose a category (Project / Idea / Note) and set a status. 2. Add your materials — List every material or resource with quantity and specifications. 3. Document each step — Add steps with text descriptions, photos, videos, or Apple Pencil handwriting. 4. Write your reflection — Record what you learned, what was hard, and how to improve next time. 5. Export and share — Export the full project as a ZIP web archive to share or back up.

About

markdown notes

Features
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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

Project Notebook +4 screens
markdown notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Project Notebook + at none against markdown notes's 3. markdown notes's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Project Notebook + ships an update every 5 weeks, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Project Notebook + versus markdown notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProject Notebook +markdown notes
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS1818.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYan Kin LEUNGBaconWorks, LLC

In-app purchases

None

Project Notebook +

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

markdown notes

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

Questions

Is Project Notebook + free?
Project Notebook + 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 Project Notebook + or markdown notes have ads?
Neither Project Notebook + nor markdown notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Project Notebook + or markdown notes?
Project Notebook + ships an update every 5 weeks, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Project Notebook + was updated on September 23, 2026 and markdown notes on September 24, 2026.

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