Comparison

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

Notebook

Features
Read full description

Turn conversations, documents, images, and everyday thoughts into clear, organized notes. Smart Notes gives you one flexible workspace to capture ideas, organize information, and quickly find what matters. Write from scratch, record a conversation, scan printed text, import an image, or sketch freely—then turn that content into a useful note. CAPTURE IDEAS YOUR WAY • Write or paste text into a clean note editor • Record conversations and turn speech into searchable text • Scan documents with your camera • Import images and extract text with OCR • Draw, recognize handwriting, and export your canvas to PDF TURN INFORMATION INTO ACTION Create concise summaries, highlight key ideas, and organize important details into notes that are easier to review and share. Keep the original content alongside the summary whenever you need more context. STAY READY FOR EVERY MEETING Connect Google Calendar or use calendars already available on your iPhone or iPad. View upcoming events and open Google Meet links directly from your workspace. KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED • Search across notes, recordings, and scans • Filter notes by content type • Pin important items for quick access • Edit and revisit saved content • Listen to supported notes with text-to-speech BUILT FOR FOCUS Smart Notes brings writing, recording, scanning, drawing, meetings, and organization into one streamlined experience across iPhone and iPad. Capture the idea now. Organize it when you are ready. Privacy Policy: https://policy.nextteam.site/privacy Terms of Use: https://policy.nextteam.site/term

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

Notebook4 screens
markdown notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notebook at none against markdown notes's 3. Notebook also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). markdown notes's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On price, ads and device support 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. Notebook asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notebook ships an update monthly, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Notebook versus markdown notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotebookmarkdown notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size163 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNguyen AnhBaconWorks, LLC

In-app purchases

None

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 Notebook free?
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 Notebook or markdown notes have ads?
Neither Notebook nor markdown notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notebook or markdown notes?
Notebook ships an update monthly, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 7, 2026 and markdown notes on October 10, 2026.

Other comparisons