Comparison

markdown notes vs Anchu

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

Head to head
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

About

Anchu

Features
Read full description

Anchu gives your work a place to land. Keep tasks, notes, and documents together in a calm workspace that stays useful when life gets busy. A focused task board shows what needs attention now. The knowledge base keeps projects, research, and reference material in a simple folder tree. Search looks through document text—not only filenames—so the idea you remember is enough to find the page you need. On Mac, documents open ready to edit. On iPhone and iPad, they open in a clear reading view with native text selection, then switch to editing when you choose. Your document files remain ordinary, portable Markdown, HTML, or text files in the Vault you choose. Open that folder in Finder or Files, edit it with another app, back it up, or give a local AI agent permission to read and process the same files. Anchu indexes the files for fast navigation and search; it does not turn a hidden server-side document database into your source of truth. Privacy stays understandable: the local Vault remains under your control, and the service handles account, task synchronization, and the metadata needed to keep devices organized. Network connections use HTTPS. You choose which devices, folders, and local tools can access your documents. Anonymous mode lets you start without an account; sign in only when you want sync and device continuity. Anchu is deliberately quiet: no advertising profile, no dark patterns, and no lock-in to a proprietary document format.

Screenshots

markdown notes4 screens
Anchu2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Anchu at none against markdown notes's 3. Anchu also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, 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. Anchu asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

markdown notes ships an update every 10 days, Anchu fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
markdown notes versus Anchu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametermarkdown notesAnchu
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBaconWorks, LLCZhaya Deutsch

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
None

Anchu

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is markdown notes free?
markdown notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Anchu free?
Anchu is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do markdown notes or Anchu have ads?
Neither markdown notes nor Anchu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, markdown notes or Anchu?
markdown notes ships an update every 10 days, and Anchu fortnightly. Most recently, markdown notes was updated on October 10, 2026 and Anchu on October 14, 2026.

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