Comparison

Retro Desktop Notes vs Stilo Markdown Editor

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

Head to head
About

Retro Desktop Notes

Experience a nostalgic note-taking app that brings the charm of classic desktop computers to your mobile device. Enjoy a distraction-free writing experience with retro themes and essential organizational tools.

Highlights
  • Retro desktop themes
  • Fast and simple editor
  • Automatic saving
  • Pin important notes
  • Instant search
  • Trash with restore
Features
Read full description

Bring the charm of classic desktop computers to your pocket. Retro Memo is a nostalgic note-taking app inspired by vintage desktop operating systems. Designed for people who love retro interfaces, pixel-perfect details, and distraction-free writing. Instead of overwhelming you with unnecessary features, Retro Memo focuses on what matters most: writing, organizing, and enjoying the experience. FEATURES • Three beautiful retro desktop themes - Classic 95 - Platinum Mono - Luna Blue • Fast and simple note editor • Automatic saving • Pin important notes • Instant search • Sort your notes • Trash with restore support • Pixel-inspired desktop icons • Classic window interface • Retro typography • Privacy-friendly local storage NO SUBSCRIPTIONS. ONE-TIME PURCHASE. Whether you're capturing ideas, creating shopping lists, or writing quick reminders, Retro Memo makes every note feel like you're using a classic desktop computer again. A nostalgic experience, redesigned for modern iPhone.

About

Stilo Markdown Editor

Features
Read full description

What you write stays a file. Stilo is a Markdown editor for iPhone and iPad. It keeps no library of its own. It opens the .md files already sitting in Files and iCloud Drive, and saves them right back. The same file still opens on your Mac and in every other app. WHAT IT DOES Your files stay yours. Edit Markdown on this iPhone, in iCloud Drive or on another cloud service. Nothing to import, nothing to export. The name and location of the open file sit at the top of the screen, and you can rename the file without leaving the editor. EAST ASIAN TYPOGRAPHY - Vertical text preview. Read your work in vertical columns, just as it appears in print - Ruby annotation. Write |北海道《ほっかいどう》 and it renders as ruby text above the base characters: furigana, zhuyin, pinyin or Korean readings - Tate-chu-yoko. Two-digit numbers stay upright inside vertical text - Page counts. Count in 400-character manuscript sheets, Taiwanese gaozhi, Korean wongoji or 250 words per page, or set your own grid - Writing goals, with progress on the status line A SCREEN THAT STAYS OUT OF THE WAY - Markdown syntax is drawn in a lighter colour so the text itself stays readable - A tag toolbar above the keyboard inserts headings, bold, quotes and ruby with one tap. Reorder it, add to it, or cut it down - Find and replace, with a match count, previous and next, and a Match Case switch - Characters, characters excluding spaces, the full-width and half-width split, lines and words EXPORT HTML export is free. PDF export keeps the vertical layout and the ruby exactly as you see them. Choose A4, Letter, Legal and other paper sizes. PRIVACY Stilo collects no personal information. There are no analytics SDKs and no advertising. The developer runs no servers, so the only place your writing goes is the cloud you chose yourself. ABOUT STILO PRO Editing, preview, find and replace, reading and writing files, character and word counts, and HTML export are free. Vertical text preview, ruby conversion, page counts and goals, PDF export, and themes with font import come with Stilo Pro. It is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Buy it once and it works on every iPhone and iPad signed in with the same Apple ID. If the free version covers what you need, keep using it. Stilo Pro isn't required for writing; it's for reading and publishing your work in typeset form. ABOUT REPOSITORY ACCESS (sold separately, one-time purchase) Open the Markdown files in your GitHub repositories as they are, edit them, and save with a commit message. If a file changed elsewhere first, Stilo tells you instead of overwriting it. This is not a Git client: no branching, merging, history or diffs. It is focused on writing the manuscripts that live in your repository. Repository Access is independent of Stilo Pro; you can buy either one on its own. Your GitHub access token is stored only on your device.

Screenshots

Retro Desktop Notes4 screens
Stilo Markdown Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Retro Desktop Notes at daily against Stilo Markdown Editor's every 3 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Retro Desktop Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Stilo Markdown Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro Desktop Notes ships an update daily, Stilo Markdown Editor every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Retro Desktop Notes versus Stilo Markdown Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetro Desktop NotesStilo Markdown Editor
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMARIE MORIKAGESohshi Sasao

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Retro Desktop Notes

One-time1
  • Retroプレミアム$1.99
1 purchases

Stilo Markdown Editor

One-time1
  • Stilo Pro$6.99

Questions

Is Retro Desktop Notes free?
Retro Desktop Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stilo Markdown Editor free?
Stilo Markdown Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Retro Desktop Notes or Stilo Markdown Editor have ads?
Neither Retro Desktop Notes nor Stilo Markdown Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retro Desktop Notes or Stilo Markdown Editor?
Retro Desktop Notes ships an update daily, and Stilo Markdown Editor every 3 days. Most recently, Retro Desktop Notes was updated on October 1, 2026 and Stilo Markdown Editor on October 11, 2026.

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