Smolpad vs Levity Markdown Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smolpad
This app offers a minimalist Markdown editor that stores your notes as plain .md files. It syncs via iCloud and allows for beautiful writing with syntax highlighting and task lists. Upgrade for unlimited notes, more sync options, and export features.
- Plain .md file storage
- iCloud sync
- Markdown syntax highlighting
- Task list checkboxes
- Folder organization and search
- Trash and version history
- Export to PDF/HTML (Pro)
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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 • A Trash for deleted notes, and a history of every note's earlier versions • Find notes in Spotlight, and open them with Siri or Shortcuts • Your notes never leave 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 • Eight 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 • Notepads: open any folder of Markdown files as its own notepad, an Obsidian vault or a Bear export among them • Export to PDF, HTML, or rich text, and print • Widgets on the Mac, iPhone and iPad, 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
Levity Markdown Notes
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Levity is a fast Markdown editor for your own plain-text notes, based on a folder in iCloud Drive or on your device. No account, no proprietary database, no separate sync service to set up. Point Levity at a folder and it mirrors every Markdown file inside it, and keeps mirroring as they change. Built for speed on your phone and read-compatible with Obsidian vaults. Levity opens, scrolls, and searches instantly, even in a large vault. It's tuned for mobile from the first line of code. If you already keep an Obsidian vault, Levity reads it as-is: the same files, the same folders, the same frontmatter. Your notes are just text files. They live in your own iCloud Drive or on your device, sync through your own Apple account, and open in any other editor. A live, clean editor: • Formatting appears as you type. The raw Markdown symbols stay out of your way, while your files stay pure Markdown on disk • Headings, bold, italic, task lists, checkboxes, blockquotes, code blocks, and tables you can edit cell by cell • [[Wiki-links]] between notes, with autocomplete • Inline images • A formatting bar, so you never have to hunt for a raw symbol Organize without a database: • Tag your notes and filter by tag • YAML frontmatter — add any property you like (status, type, dates, lists) and build filtered views around it • Folders, templates, archive, and trash • Full-text search across every note, instantly Made yours: • Seven themes, plus an automatic day / night mode that follows your surroundings • Adjustable font, size, and spacing • Designed for both iPhone and iPad Levity is focused and supports text, tags, and links; no graph view or plugins, just the fastest way to write and read Markdown on iOS, on top of files you already own. Free to start. One optional yearly subscription unlocks unlimited note creation and editing; reading your notes is never limited. Your privacy, by design: your notes stay in your own iCloud or device storage. Levity Premium is an auto-renewing subscription billed yearly. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: Smolpad at 4 against Levity Markdown Notes's 2. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Smolpad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Levity Markdown Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $11.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Smolpad | Levity Markdown Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 76 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BaconWorks, LLC | S Tan |
In-app purchases
Smolpad
- Smolpad Pro$1.491 Month
- Smolpad Pro7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Smolpad Pro Lifetime$29.99
Levity Markdown Notes
- Levity Premium$11.991 Year









