Comparison

Second Notes vs OctoNote

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

Head to head
About

Second Notes

A text editor for creating notes with live Markdown formatting. Sync notes across your iOS devices and Mac via iCloud. Export notes as text files and import from other applications.

Highlights
  • Live Markdown formatting
  • iCloud sync
  • Cross-device compatibility (iOS/Mac)
  • Export to text file
  • Import from other apps
  • Text search
  • Keyboard shortcuts
Features
Read full description

Second Notes is an text editor for making a note with Live Markdown in your iCloud folder. You can share the note with your iOS devices via Second Notes for Mac. And Live Markdown automatically indents lists and quoted strings, and changes font to bold or italic. ## Features - Typing text with Live Markdown - iCloud and Second Notes for iOS - Exporting a note as a text file to iCloud Drive - Importing a text file from other applications - Text search in whole Notes - Keyboard shortcuts - Autosaving - Dynamic Type

About

OctoNote

This app lets you write and store notes in markdown format, syncing them directly to your GitHub Gists. It offers beautiful rendering, code syntax highlighting, and version control for organized and accessible notes.

Highlights
  • Markdown writing and rendering
  • GitHub Gists integration
  • Code syntax highlighting
  • Live preview
  • Version history
  • Secret Gists (Premium)
  • Custom syntax themes (Premium)
Features
Read full description

OctoNote - GitHub Powered Markdown Notes THE POWER OF GITHUB MEETS BEAUTIFUL NOTE-TAKING OctoNote transforms the way developers and power users take notes by harnessing GitHub Gists—giving you cloud sync, version control, and universal access without the bloat of traditional note apps. Write in markdown. Save to GitHub. Access anywhere. MARKDOWN DONE RIGHT - Gorgeous rendering that makes your notes look like miniature websites - Full syntax highlighting for code blocks—perfect for developers - Seamless editing with a clean, distraction-free interface - Live preview to see your formatted notes as you write GITHUB GISTS INTEGRATION - Automatic sync to your GitHub profile—your notes live where your code lives - Edit anywhere through GitHub's web interface or OctoNote - Version history built in—never lose a previous version - Share effortlessly via Gist URLs with beautiful browser rendering - No vendor lock-in—your notes are standard markdown on GitHub BUILT FOR DEVELOPERS & POWER USERS Whether you're documenting code snippets, maintaining technical wikis, or organizing project notes, OctoNote gives you the tools you need: - Save meeting notes with code examples - Maintain personal knowledge bases - Share formatted documentation instantly - Keep research organized with tags and structure OCTONOTE PREMIUM Upgrade to unlock the full power of private note-taking: - Secret Gists that don't appear in public search - Custom syntax formatting themes (11+ beautiful options from Xcode Light to Atom One Dark) - Flair for your app icon - Private by default for sensitive work notes and personal journals SIMPLE. POWERFUL. YOURS. OctoNote doesn't try to be everything—it's focused on doing one thing exceptionally well: giving you beautiful, powerful markdown notes backed by the reliability of GitHub. No proprietary formats. No complicated export processes. Just your notes, in standard markdown, stored safely on GitHub and accessible from anywhere. Perfect for: - Software developers and engineers - Technical writers and documentation specialists - Students studying computer science - Anyone who loves markdown and wants their notes future-proof REQUIREMENTS OctoNote requires a GitHub account (free accounts work perfectly). All features—both standard and Premium—are available to users with any GitHub account tier. Download OctoNote today and transform the way you take notes.

Screenshots

Second Notes4 screens
OctoNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: OctoNote at 60% against Second Notes's 0%. OctoNote also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Second Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (14 vs 17.0). On 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

OctoNote is free to download; Second Notes costs $0.99 up front. OctoNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Second Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Second Notes ships an update every 6 months, OctoNote every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Second Notes versus OctoNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSecond NotesOctoNote
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating—3.7 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—10 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoldbug SoftwareBase11 Studios Ltd

Customer experience

Second Notes

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

OctoNote

All ratings10 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative30.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

None

Second Notes

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

OctoNote

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$1.991 Month
  • Premium (Yearly)$11.991 Year
One-time1
  • OctoNote Premium - Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Second Notes free?
Second Notes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is OctoNote free?
OctoNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Second Notes or OctoNote have ads?
Neither Second Notes nor OctoNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Second Notes or OctoNote?
Second Notes ships an update every 6 months, and OctoNote every 2 months. Most recently, Second Notes was updated on September 19, 2026 and OctoNote on September 12, 2026.

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