# Second Notes vs OctoNote

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Second Notes | OctoNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[3.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octonote/id1433164731/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **10** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 1 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goldbug Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/457767039) | [Base11 Studios Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082229198) |

## What reviewers say

### Second Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/second-notes/id926162863)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### OctoNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octonote/id1433164731)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium (Yearly) | $11.99 | per year |
| OctoNote Premium - Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*