Project Notebook + vs Smolpad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Project Notebook +
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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.
Smolpad
This app offers a minimalist Markdown editor that stores your notes as plain .md files. It syncs via iCloud and allows for beautiful writing with syntax highlighting and task lists. Upgrade for unlimited notes, more sync options, and export features.
- Plain .md file storage
- iCloud sync
- Markdown syntax highlighting
- Task list checkboxes
- Folder organization and search
- Trash and version history
- Export to PDF/HTML (Pro)
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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, quotes, and tables, 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 • A Trash for deleted notes, and a history of every note's earlier versions • Find notes in Spotlight, and open them with Siri or Shortcuts • Your notes never leave 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 • Eight hand-picked fonts and a clean, quiet interface MAKE IT YOURS WITH SMOLPAD PRO • Unlimited notes (the free tier includes ten) • Dropbox, pCloud, or Google Drive sync, in a folder that belongs to you • Notepads: open any folder of Markdown files as its own notepad, an Obsidian vault or a Bear export among them • Export to PDF, HTML, or rich text, and print • Widgets on the Mac, iPhone and iPad, Lock Screen widgets on iPhone, and Smolpad on Apple Watch • 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Project Notebook + at none against Smolpad's 3. Smolpad's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Smolpad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Project Notebook + asks for nothing beyond the download.
Project Notebook + ships an update monthly, Smolpad every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Project Notebook + | Smolpad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 76 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yan Kin LEUNG | BaconWorks, LLC |
In-app purchases
Project Notebook +
No in-app purchases
Smolpad
- Smolpad Pro$1.491 Month
- Smolpad Pro7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Smolpad Pro Lifetime$29.99








