Drafts vs SnipNotes

Drafts

• Jotting text down quickly on iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch
• People who route notes into other apps such as task managers
• Automation fans who script their own text workflows

SnipNotes

• Apple Watch owners who want to dictate and read notes on the wrist
• Collecting copied text, links and addresses to act on later
• People who prefer a one-time purchase to a notes subscription

Drafts

• Apps exist only for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. The Web Capture page can create drafts in any browser but cannot review or edit them.
• Creating and editing actions, workspaces, themes, Mail Drop and the AI chat console all require the Drafts Pro subscription.
• Sync runs through iCloud and needs the same iCloud account, with iCloud Drive active, on every device.
• A subscription bought on iOS cannot be restored on the Mac App Store or the reverse; it carries over only through a shared iCloud account.

SnipNotes

• It runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch only; the developer says there are no current plans for Windows or Android.
• iCloud sync, subcategories, tags, file attachments, drawing and voice recordings are all paid.
• Sync works through iCloud only; the FAQ rules out Dropbox, OneDrive and Nextcloud because notes are stored as database records.
• The feature table marks drawing, dictation, Siri, widgets, reminders and passcode protection as not yet supported on the Mac.

Drafts

Capture first, file later

The app opens to a new page with the keyboard ready. Entries go to an inbox and can be tagged, flagged or archived afterwards.

Actions

Actions copy, share or send text to other apps and services. Running installed actions is free; creating and editing them needs Drafts Pro.

Dictation and transcription

A custom dictation interface built on Apple's speech recognition, plus transcription of existing audio and video files into text.

Workspaces

Saved views of the drafts list that restore a preferred tag filter, query and sort order. Workspaces are a Drafts Pro feature.

Capture from outside the app

Text can arrive through Siri, widgets, the share extension, a personal Mail Drop email address (Pro) and a Web Capture page for any browser.

Automation hooks

Supports Shortcuts, URL schemes, AppleScript and JavaScript scripting in actions, and Pro adds an AI chat console that can query and edit drafts.

SnipNotes

Capture from clipboard, voice and share sheet

Notes can be created from copied text, dictated with Siri or in-app voice input, dragged in from other apps or sent through the share sheet. A note can also store the current location.

Apple Watch app

Notes can be dictated, read and managed on the watch, and synced notes stay available when the iPhone is out of range. LTE watches can create notes on the go.

Inbox, archive, categories and tags

New notes land in an inbox and can be archived, pinned or filed in categories. Nested categories and colored tags are paid features.

Quick actions and automation

Detected addresses open in a map and phone numbers can be called, and a note can become a calendar event. Shortcuts actions and a URL scheme connect it to other apps.

Attachments, drawing and voice recordings

Paid upgrades add file attachments such as PDFs and videos, drawing with a finger or Apple Pencil on iPhone and iPad, and voice recordings that iOS 26 or later can transcribe.

iCloud sync with offline access

With SnipNotes Plus, notes sync through the user's private iCloud account. They are also stored locally, so they can be read and edited without a connection.

Drafts

• Free$0

  Unlimited drafts, editing and iCloud sync, plus the actions that ship with the app or come from the Drafts Directory.

• Drafts Pro$19.99

  per year; $1.99 billed monthly

  Create and edit actions, themes and custom icons, workspaces, the AI chat console, Mail Drop and enhanced widgets on all Apple devices.

• Drafts Pro Patron$29.99

  billing period not shown on the App Store listing

  A supporter tier with the same features as Drafts Pro, for people who want to pay more toward development.

SnipNotes

• Free$0

  The app with its core features on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Paid features such as iCloud sync stay locked.

• SnipNotes Plus (Subscription)$1.99

  billing period not labelled; a monthly option exists

  Unlocks every paid feature on iOS and macOS, including ones added later, after a 7-day free trial. The US App Store lists two subscription items at $1.99.

• Single-feature upgrades$3.99

  one-time purchase per feature

  Subcategories, Note Attachments, Note Tags and Voice Recordings sold one at a time. The vendor's blog gave $4.99 for tags and voice recordings at launch.

• SnipNotes Plus (yearly subscription)$14.99

  per year

  The listing's promoted subscription for one year, with a free trial. Its price comes from the page's purchase data and is not shown as text.

• SnipNotes Plus (iOS)$14.99

  one-time purchase

  Premium features for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch only. Listed while the vendor says all purchases are reduced for a short time.

• SnipNotes Plus (iOS + macOS)$24.99

  one-time purchase

  Premium features on both iOS and macOS with one purchase. Also listed during the vendor's temporary sale; the regular price is not shown.

Drafts

• Annual discount

  Annual billing costs about 16% less

  Drafts Pro is $19.99 a year or $1.99 a month, so twelve monthly payments come to $23.88 against $19.99 for the annual option.

• Other savings

  Family Sharing on both subscriptions

  The monthly and annual Drafts Pro subscriptions support Apple Family Sharing, so one subscription can unlock Pro features for the family group.

SnipNotes

• Lifetime license

  One-time purchase instead of a subscription

  SnipNotes Plus can be unlocked permanently with a single purchase, for one platform or for iOS and macOS together, as an alternative to the monthly or annual subscription.

• Other savings

  Temporary sale on all in-app purchases

  The App Store description says all purchases are reduced for a short time and gives no end date. Tags and Voice Recordings are listed at $3.99 against the $4.99 quoted at launch.