Drafts vs Strflow

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

Strflow

• People who already text themselves notes, links and to-dos
• Jotting thoughts down on iPhone or Mac without filing them first
• Apple users who want notes kept on device or in their own iCloud

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.

Strflow

• The App Store listing covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision only; there is no Windows, Android or web version.
• Sync and backup between devices need Strflow Plus; the free plan keeps notes on one device.
• End-to-end encryption applies only when the user has turned on iCloud's Advanced Data Protection.
• Private tags are limited to Strflow Plus, and the roadmap still lists OCR, voice recording and a calendar view as planned or under consideration.

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.

Strflow

Chat-style timeline

Notes are typed into a message box and sent, which builds a chronological timeline. Adding tags creates separate timelines for individual topics.

To-do timeline and reminders

Checklists are collected into a dedicated Todo timeline. A note can be scheduled for a future date; it stays hidden until then and arrives with a notification.

Capture from anywhere

Notes can be added from the share sheet, from widgets, through Apple Shortcuts actions, or on the Mac with a keyboard shortcut that opens a quick note panel.

Rich text and attachments

The editor handles inline and block formatting, checklists, links between notes and link previews. Images and other file types such as PDFs and videos can be attached.

Encrypted iCloud sync

Strflow Plus syncs and backs up notes through iCloud, encrypted with the iCloud Keychain. With Apple's Advanced Data Protection turned on, the data is end-to-end encrypted.

Markdown export and Spotlight search

All notes can be exported as Markdown. Notes, tags, link previews and attachment file names can be found through Spotlight on Mac, iPhone and iPad.

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.

Strflow

• Free$0

  Unlimited notes on a single device with all core features, including tags, reminders and attachments. No account needed.

• Strflow Plus (Monthly)$1.49

  per month

  Encrypted iCloud sync and backup across iPhone, iPad and Mac, plus private tags locked behind Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode.

• Strflow Plus (Annual)$14.99

  per year

  The same Strflow Plus features as the monthly plan, billed once a year through the App Store.

• Strflow Plus (Lifetime)$37.99

  one-time purchase

  Non-renewing purchase of Strflow Plus. The US App Store also lists a $27.99 lifetime price for people who have paid for a yearly subscription.

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.

Strflow

• Annual discount

  About 16% off with annual billing

  Strflow Plus costs $14.99 a year against $1.49 a month, which comes to $17.88 over 12 months, a saving of about 16%.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Strflow Plus for $37.99

  A one-time, non-renewing purchase gives permanent access to Strflow Plus. The terms say a discounted lifetime price may be offered to people who have paid for a yearly subscription.