Curio vs VoodooPad (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Curio if

• Fits if you plan projects by laying everything out on a page on a Mac
• Works for students or researchers piling notes, PDFs and web links into one project file

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need your notes on a phone or a Windows PC, as it only runs on a Mac with macOS 15 or later
• Tight if you're staying free, because a project can only have 5 idea spaces and bigger ones open read-only
• Pricey if you want every update, since a $99.99 license covers 1 year of them and renewals start at $59.99
• Watch out: license keys work only with the website download and subscriptions only with the Mac App Store one
• Watch out: the CLI, MCP, smart Kanban, table formulas and Mermaid diagrams need Professional, and academic discounts skip subscriptions

Pick VoodooPad if

• Fits if you want a personal wiki on a Mac and would rather pay once
• Works for people who link notes, PDFs and files into one document

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as it is Mac only
• Not for you if you want to try it first: no free version or trial is shown
• Tight if you share notes: only through a synced folder like Dropbox, not live co-editing
• Watch out: the iOS app has no version on the Primate Labs site, so check before relying on it

Curio

• Mac only: Curio 34 runs on macOS 15 Sequoia or later, and the site lists no iPhone, iPad, Windows or web version.
• Free mode restricts a project to 5 idea spaces; larger projects open read-only.
• License keys work only with the website download and subscriptions only with the Mac App Store download.
• A license key includes one year of major updates; later updates need a paid renewal, and academic and volume discounts do not apply to subscriptions.

VoodooPad

• The vendor lists macOS 10.12 or later; there is no Windows, Android or web version.
• The Primate Labs site shows no version for the iOS app, so check its availability before relying on it.
• Collaboration works by sharing a synced folder such as Dropbox, not through live co-editing.

Curio

Freeform idea spaces

Place text, Markdown, images, PDFs, documents, web links and media anywhere on a page, and divide larger projects into Organizer sections.

Integrated collections

Mind maps, lists, tables, index cards, albums, pinboards, stacks and Kanban boards sit on the same pages and can be nested inside compositions.

Task and project metadata

Items carry checkmarks, percent complete, tags, start and due dates, priorities, ratings and resources, all searchable with queries and filters.

Markdown, wikilinks and backlinks

Markdown text supports equations, tables, checklists and callouts, and wikilinks, backlinks and jump actions connect items across a project.

Local project files

Each project is one local file on your Mac that works offline, with automatic backups and export to PDF, Markdown, HTML, OPML and other formats.

AI services and Curio CLI

The Sleuth research window reaches chat services such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, and Professional adds a command line tool with an MCP server for AI agents.

VoodooPad

Wiki links

Words in a page link to other pages, and dropped-in files, folders, PDFs, applications or URLs link up like web addresses.

Collections, tags and aliases

Pages can be grouped into collections, tagged and given aliases, with search across the whole document.

Encryption

A single page or the whole document can be encrypted, which the vendor suggests for passwords and account details.

Export

A document can be exported as PDF, ePub or HTML, and the app has a built-in web server for sharing over a local network.

Shared folders and iOS

A document can sit in a shared Dropbox folder for several editors. A separate VoodooPad for iOS app opens documents on iPhone and iPad.

Curio

• Free$0

  Standard features for small projects, restricted to 5 idea spaces per project. Larger projects open read-only.

• Standard subscription$5

  per month, billed yearly ($60); $6 billed monthly

  Mac App Store subscription. Everything in Free with an unlimited number of idea spaces.

• Professional subscription$6

  per month, billed yearly ($72); $8 billed monthly

  Mac App Store subscription. Adds Curio CLI and MCP, smart Kanban, table formulas, synced figures, Mermaid diagrams and presentation mode.

• Standard license key$99.99

  one-time, includes 1 year of updates

  Bought from Zengobi's website. The license does not expire, and renewals for another year of updates start at $59.99.

• Professional license key$119.99

  one-time, includes 1 year of updates

  The Professional edition as a one-time purchase. Renewals for another year of updates start at $79.99.

VoodooPad

• VoodooPad 5$24.99

  one-time

  Single purchase of the Mac app, sold through the vendor's Paddle checkout. The price comes from the checkout's US price data, since the page shows only a Buy Now button.

Curio

• Education

  Academic pricing on license keys

  Qualifying students, faculty and staff pay $79.99 for a Standard license key or $99.99 for Professional after academic verification. Subscriptions are excluded.

• Annual discount

  Two or three months free with yearly billing

  Billed yearly, Standard works out to $5 a month instead of $6 and Professional to $6 instead of $8, which Zengobi describes as 2 and 3 months free.

• Other savings

  20% volume discount for 20 or more licenses

  Quantity purchases of 20 or more license keys receive an automatic 20% volume discount at checkout.

• Other savings

  Discounted license renewals

  Renewing a license key for another year of updates costs $59.99 to $69.99 for Standard and $79.99 to $89.99 for Professional, depending on the version owned.

VoodooPad

No public discounts listed.