# Private Notes vs markdown notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: markdown notes at every 10 days against Private Notes's every 2 months. markdown notes also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Private Notes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and markdown notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Private Notes ships an update every 2 months, markdown notes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Notes | markdown notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Size | 15 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.4 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cengiz Darian Hanci](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878103848) | [BaconWorks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783126115) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-notes-offline-notepad/id6792270378)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime - Welcome | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $27.99 | one-time |


### markdown notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/id6792438749)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smolpad Pro | $1.49 | per month |
| Smolpad Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Smolpad Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Notes free?

Private Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is markdown notes free?

markdown notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Private Notes or markdown notes have ads?

Neither Private Notes nor markdown notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Private Notes or markdown notes?

Private Notes ships an update every 2 months, and markdown notes every 10 days. Most recently, Private Notes was updated on September 19, 2026 and markdown notes on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*