Comparison

Jot 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

Jot

Features
Read full description

Jot is a fast, private place to capture ideas before they slip away. Built for founders, developers, and anyone whose mind moves quickly, Jot opens straight to a blank note. No account. No sign-up. No cloud. Every note stays on your device. CAPTURE IN ONE TAP Open the app and start typing. Quick note mode saves instantly, so an idea never waits on a folder. ORGANIZE WITHOUT FRICTION Sort notes into six categories: Idea, Task, Code, Journal, Meeting, and Research. Add tags. Pin what matters. Archive the rest. FIND ANYTHING FAST Search across titles, bodies, and tags. Filter by category. Browse by tag. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Jot stores everything locally with Apple's on-device storage. No tracking, no analytics, no ads, no servers. Your notes are yours. BRING YOUR NOTES WITH YOU Paste text, import .txt and Markdown files, or share text into Jot from other apps. Minimal, black and white, and built to stay out of your way.

About

markdown notes

A minimalist Markdown editor that stores all your notes as plain text files, accessible across your devices. It offers beautiful writing tools, seamless cloud sync, and powerful organization features without any bloat.

Highlights
  • Plain .md file storage
  • iCloud Drive sync
  • Markdown syntax highlighting
  • Task list checkboxes
  • Folder and instant search organization
  • Menu bar app on Mac
  • Export to PDF, HTML, RTF (Pro)
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, 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 • Find notes in Spotlight, and open them with Siri or Shortcuts • 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, pCloud, or Google Drive sync, in a folder that belongs to you • Export to PDF, HTML, or rich text, and print • 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

Jot4 screens
markdown notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Jot at none against markdown notes's 3. markdown notes's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Jot versus markdown notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJotmarkdown notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperADRIAN BONDBaconWorks, LLC

In-app purchases

None

Jot

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 Jot free?
Jot 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 Jot or markdown notes have ads?
Neither Jot nor markdown notes shows ads.

Other comparisons