Comparison

Metis vs Thread to Self

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

Head to head
About

Metis

Read full description

Metis is a native Markdown editor and local-first knowledge base. Your notes are just .md files in a folder you own - Metis is a fast, beautiful, native view over them. No lock-in, no proprietary format, no account required to write. WRITE IN LIVE PREVIEW A clean Obsidian-style editor styles your Markdown as you type - headings, bold, lists, quotes and code - while keeping the raw syntax one tap away. It feels like writing in a document, not in code. On iPad it's a full three-pane workspace with hardware-keyboard shortcuts. CONNECT YOUR IDEAS Link any two notes with [[wiki links]]. Backlinks appear automatically, so you always see what references the note you're reading. An interactive link graph shows your whole knowledge base at a glance - zoom, pan, and drag nodes to explore the connections. READ BEAUTIFULLY Reading mode renders the full document: headings, tables, task lists, images, syntax-highlighted code, Mermaid diagrams, and real math (LaTeX) rendered natively - no web view. ORGANIZE YOUR WAY Tag anything with #tags, group notes into folders, and see typed properties (status, owner, due...) that live as YAML front matter and are preserved as you edit. A fast switcher and full-text search get you anywhere instantly. ON-DEVICE AI (Apple Intelligence) Summarize a note, suggest tags or related links, and ask your whole vault a question - all running privately on your device. AI is optional; the app is fully functional without it. SYNC ACROSS YOUR DEVICES Keep your vault in iCloud and the same notes are on your Mac, iPad and iPhone - still as plain .md files you can open anywhere. Edits sync in the background, and Metis helps you resolve conflicts if two devices change the same note. LOCK WHAT MATTERS Any note can be locked with your notes password and opened with Face ID or Touch ID. Locked notes are encrypted on disk and stay encrypted in iCloud - and they're kept out of search and previews. PRIVATE AND YOURS Everything stays in plain files on your device. No tracking, no cloud lock-in. Open the same folder in any other Markdown editor whenever you like. Import an existing folder of notes (from Obsidian or anywhere) and Metis just works. ONE PURCHASE, ALL YOUR DEVICES A single one-time purchase unlocks Metis Pro on your Mac, iPad and iPhone - no subscription. Try everything free for 7 days. Metis is made by Empiric Apps. Questions or feedback? contact@empiricapps.com

About

Thread to Self

Features
Read full description

Thread to Self is a private message thread with yourself. Capture a thought, observation, idea, or memory, then move on with your day. Everything lives in one continuous stream, arranged from oldest to newest. When you want to revisit something, jump directly to a month and year. Thread to Self is intentionally simple: โ€ข No AI โ€ข No ads โ€ข No account, nothing to sign up for โ€ข No social features โ€ข No folders, tags, or filters โ€ข Text only, no photos or attachments โ€ข No editing after you send โ€ข Messages can be deleted, but never changed Your messages are stored on your iPhone and synchronized through your private iCloud account. Export your thread as text whenever you choose. Optional weekly or monthly reminders are quiet and simple. No streaks, badges, or guilt. Try Thread to Self free for 30 days. After the trial, unlock writing permanently with a one-time $4.99 purchase. No subscription. Your messages are always yours to read and export, whether or not you buy.

Screenshots

Metis4 screens
Thread to Self3 screens

Verdict

The call

Metis and Thread to Self are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Metis sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Thread to Self sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Metis versus Thread to Self: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetisThread to Self
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size14 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBurlac MihailYou-R-Here LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Metis

One-time1
  • Metis Pro$14.99
1 purchases

Thread to Self

One-time1
  • Thread to Self Unlock$4.99

Questions

Is Metis free?
Metis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Thread to Self free?
Thread to Self is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Metis or Thread to Self have ads?
Neither Metis nor Thread to Self shows ads.

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