# Octarine vs Apple Notes

A markdown knowledge base vs the notes app you already have

Last reviewed: 2026-11-04
Web page: https://octarine.app/compare/apple-notes

Apple Notes and Octarine are both free to start. The difference is what happens as your notes pile up.

Apple Notes is already on every Apple device, and it's great for quick capture: document scanning, handwriting with Apple Pencil, audio recordings with transcripts, and shared notes and folders. It syncs through iCloud with no setup, and you can reach it at iCloud.com.

Octarine is the step up when notes become a body of work: markdown files you own, backlinks and a graph to connect them, templates and daily notes, and code blocks and diagrams. It runs on Windows and Linux too, and the core app is free, so you can try it alongside Notes.

- Moving from Apple Notes: https://octarine.app/docs/importing/apple-notes

## Comparison

"Yes", "No", and "Partly" are the status shown on the web page; any text after the colon is the note shown with it.

### Files

| Feature | Octarine | Apple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plain markdown files | Yes | Partly: iCloud; markdown export one note at a time |

### Writing and organization

| Feature | Octarine | Apple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Links between notes | Yes | Yes |
| Backlinks and graph | Yes | No |
| Templates and daily notes | Yes | No |
| Code highlighting and diagrams | Yes: Mermaid | No: Monospaced text only |
| Tables and checklists | Yes | Yes |
| Task management | Yes: Projects, list or board, cycles (Pro) | Partly: Checklists in notes; Reminders is a separate app |

- Task management: Tasks groups work into projects with statuses, priorities, labels, due dates, subtasks, saved filters, and optional cycles. Each task is a Markdown file in your workspace, and a checkbox in a note can become a task.

### Capture

| Feature | Octarine | Apple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Document scanning | No | Yes |
| Handwriting | No | Yes: Apple Pencil |
| Audio transcription | Yes: Meeting transcription on iOS, on-device | Yes |
| Web clipper | Yes: Chrome, Firefox, Safari | Partly: Share sheet |

### Sharing and AI

| Feature | Octarine | Apple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shared notes and folders | Partly: Publish notes with reader comments | Yes |
| Built-in AI | Yes: Your own key or a local model (Pro) | Yes: Apple Intelligence Writing Tools |

- Built-in AI: Ask Octarine searches, reads, and follows links across your notes to answer questions. The Writing Assistant edits inline. Indexing stays on your device.

### Platforms

| Feature | Octarine | Apple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Desktop | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS |
| iPhone and iPad | Partly: TestFlight for Pro users | Yes: Preinstalled |
| Web app | No | Yes: iCloud.com |

### Plans

| Feature | Octarine | Apple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | Yes: Core features, no time limit | Yes: Everything |
| Paid | Pro $79 one-time | None |

## Sources

Compared against Apple's Notes and iCloud user guides. Markdown export in iOS 26 and macOS 26 is described from reporting, as Apple's guide has no dedicated page for it yet.

- [Notes User Guide for Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/notes/welcome/mac)
- [Apple Notes with iCloud](https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/keep-your-notes-up-to-date-mm2d069f7097/icloud)
- [Markdown import and export in Notes (MacRumors)](https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/ios-import-export-markdown-apple-notes/)

Product names belong to their owners; no affiliation or endorsement is implied. Corrections: https://octarine.app/compare/apple-notes has a "Suggest a correction" link.