# markdown notes vs Mena

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mena at every 3 days against markdown notes's every 10 days. markdown notes's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. markdown notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Mena sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

markdown notes ships an update every 10 days, Mena every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | markdown notes | Mena |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/id6792438749/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 71 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BaconWorks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783126115) | [Cihat Salik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1819820065) |

## What reviewers say

### markdown notes

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

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:** Apple Watch app, 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 |


### Mena

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mena-notes-mind-map-and-study/id6801832470)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mena Pro - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Mena Pro - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Mena Pro - Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is markdown notes free?

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

### Is Mena free?

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

### Do markdown notes or Mena have ads?

Neither markdown notes nor Mena shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, markdown notes or Mena?

markdown notes ships an update every 10 days, and Mena every 3 days. Most recently, markdown notes was updated on October 10, 2026 and Mena on September 28, 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.*