Antinote vs Soulver

Antinote

• Mac users who want a throwaway pad beside their main notes app
• Quick sums, conversions and what-if calculations written in words
• Keyboard-driven users of Raycast or Alfred

Soulver

• Working through multi-step sums with notes beside the numbers
• People with a Mac, iPad and iPhone who want one purchase for all three
• Trip budgets, quotes and split expenses that mix dates, currencies and totals

Antinote

• It runs on macOS 14 or later only. The vendor plans no Windows or Linux version; an iOS app is in development with an October 2026 release date.
• Notes are plain text with no fonts, colors or styles, and the vendor says very long notes get laggy.
• There are no folders or tags: it is built for short-lived notes that get exported elsewhere when worth keeping.
• iCloud sync, added in version 2.0, is optional and off until switched on; notes otherwise stay in a local SQLite database.

Soulver

• Apple platforms only: it requires macOS 14, iPadOS 17 or iOS 17 or later, and the site lists no Windows, Android or web version.
• There is no free plan. After the 60-day trial, sheets can still be viewed and exported, but creating and editing them requires a purchase.
• Access to 150k+ stocks, Wolfram|Alpha queries and advanced weather data costs a separate $26 a year on the App Store.
• Major versions are paid upgrades, which the vendor says have averaged seven years apart; Soulver 3 owners get Soulver 4 at half price.

Antinote

Swipe-through temporary notes

A two-finger swipe moves between notes, and swiping past the newest one starts another. Notes can delete themselves, and there are no folders or tags to manage.

Plain text with paste cleanup

Notes are plain text with simple Markdown. Pasting strips formatting, bullets and indentation, pasted links are shortened, and a dropped image becomes text through macOS OCR.

Inline math and conversions

With math on the first line, calculations are worked out as you type beside your own wording. Named variables recalculate, and currencies, crypto, distances and weights convert inline.

Checklists, timers and AutoPaste

Other first-line keywords change what a note does: list makes a checklist, timer runs a stopwatch, countdown or pomodoro, and paste collects everything copied afterwards.

Global hotkey and display modes

Option-A brings the app up from inside any other app. It can live in the Dock, the menu bar or a dropdown, show over full-screen apps and be pinned on top.

Export and automation

A note can be sent to Apple Notes, Obsidian or Bear, or exported as txt, Markdown or PDF. URL schemes, Shortcuts, Raycast, Alfred and JavaScript extensions can drive the app.

Soulver

Answer column

A sheet works like a notepad: write words and numbers on a line and the answer appears alongside it as you type, with a floating total for the whole sheet at the bottom.

Line references, variables and subtotals

An answer can be referenced on later lines and updates when earlier lines change. Multi-word variables, subtotals and totals of every line carrying a tag are supported.

Currencies, units and dates

Recognizes 190 currencies, more than 200 units, percentages, calendar and clock-time math and time zones, with functions for sales tax, loans, interest and inflation.

Live data

Pulls live and historical currency and stock prices and weather into a sheet. Access to 150k+ stocks and inline Wolfram|Alpha queries needs the optional data services subscription.

iCloud sync and export

Sheets sync through iCloud across Mac, iPad and iPhone with automatic backups. They are plain text and can be exported to PDF, printed or sent as a styled HTML email.

Automation and command line

A Shortcuts action, URL schemes, macOS Services and an Alfred workflow connect Soulver to other tools. A free standalone command-line tool can create and edit sheets.

Antinote

• Antinote$5

  one-time purchase

  A license for the Mac app with lifetime updates and no subscription. Requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.

Soulver

• Soulver (iPhone only)$15

  one-time purchase

  The iPhone version on its own, for buyers who do not need the Mac or iPad apps.

• Soulver (Mac, iPad and iPhone)$59

  one-time purchase on the App Store

  One purchase covers all three platforms, with 190 currencies and 8 tech stocks included. The vendor gives free updates between major releases.

• Data services subscription$26

  per year, optional add-on

  Knowledge Assistant, Live Stocks & Advanced Weather: 150k+ stock tickers, inline Wolfram|Alpha queries and advanced weather data.

• Setapp$15

  per month, through a Setapp membership

  Soulver as one of about 260 apps in the Setapp catalog. The data services subscription is complimentary for Setapp users.

Antinote

• Other savings

  Free license for charity donors and volunteers

  The FAQ says that describing a donation you made or volunteer work you did in the #charity-offer channel on the Antinote Discord earns a free lifetime license.

Soulver

• Other savings

  Half-price upgrade from Soulver 3

  Buyers of Soulver 3 on the App Store get Soulver 4 for $29 instead of $59, and a registered direct-download copy of Soulver 3 on the same Mac unlocks the same 50% discount.