NotePlus vs Octarine
We give NotePlus a 3.2 GPA and Octarine a 3.4, out of 4.0. NotePlus grades higher on value for money. Octarine grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
NotePlus
Native Markdown notes app with kanban boards and AI chat
Octarine
Local Markdown notes app with daily notes, views and optional AI
How we grade them
| 3.2GPANotePlusVery good | 3.4GPAOctarineVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ABasic is $29 once for 1 Mac or PC plus 2 iPhones or iPads, and Pro is $39 for double that. That's about five months of a typical $5.99 a month plan here. A licence carries 1 year of updates, and newer versions after that need a $19 renewal, but the app keeps working either way. | BPro is $79 once, on 3 devices at a time, with every later Pro feature included. That's about 13 months of a typical $5.99 a month plan here, so just past our line for an A. The docs say the price goes up as Pro features are added, and the AI still needs your own API key. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to download and use without a licence, and the pricing FAQ says there are no limits at present. Sounds like an A. But the same FAQ says some functions will be limited in future releases and doesn't say which, and Hub already needs a licence. | APersonal is free: the WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates and Mermaid diagrams. The vendor says the core features will always be free. Most people could stay here. You also get 7 days of Pro with the download. |
| Features | BMarkdown that formats in place as you type, [[links]] between notes, password-locked notes, kanban boards saved beside your notes, and Hub, which drops messages from scripts into the app. Solid. But there's no sync of its own, and the AI chat only works with your own API key. | AWikilinks to a note or a single heading, backlinks, a graph, and a Daily Desk that moves yesterday's unfinished tasks into today. A Spotlight-style capture window drops thoughts into an Inbox. Pro adds properties, table and kanban views, note sharing and a chat over your notes. |
| Ease of use | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. There's no account to create. You pick a folder and type, and there's no separate preview pane to manage. | BNo store rating to go on, so a B is our ceiling. It's a normal install, you edit the formatted page directly, and the main features are there without adding plugins. Sync is yours to arrange, through a file-sync service or the built-in Git sync. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, iPhone and iPad, with notes carried by iCloud Drive, Google Drive or Dropbox, and AI from OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek or Ollama. No Android, Linux or web version, which keeps it off the A. | BMac, Windows and Linux, a browser clipper, and Git sync to GitHub or GitLab. On phones there's only an iOS beta on TestFlight for eligible Pro users, and no Android app is listed. So it's a desktop app for now. |
| Best for | Markdown notes in your own cloud folder, bought once | Markdown notes on a desktop with the extras built in |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: NotePlus and Octarine. How we grade
Where they differ
- NotePlus starts at $29 one-time purchase (Basic license, 1 computer). Octarine starts at $79 one-time purchase.
- Only NotePlus lists an iOS app.
- Only Octarine lists a Linux app.
- Only Octarine lists a browser extension.
- NotePlus also covers kanban boards.
- Octarine also covers daily notes.
At a glance
| NotePlus | Octarine | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29 one-time purchase (Basic license, 1 computer) | $79 one-time purchase |
| Free plan | Free to download and use without a license. The pricing FAQ says the unlicensed app has no limits at present and that some functions will be limited in future releases. Hub is part of a license. | Personal: the WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates, 4 themes and txt export. The vendor says the core features will always be free. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day trial of Pro features included with the download |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | TablePlus Inc. | Rajat Kulkarni |
| Price read from | noteplus.com | octarine.app |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
NotePlus
- People who want Markdown notes as plain files in their own cloud folder
- Mac, Windows and iPhone users who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- Developers who want messages from scripts and CI jobs delivered next to their notes
Octarine
- Writers who want Markdown notes kept as local files
- People who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- Those who want linking, daily notes and views built in, not added as plugins
Worth knowing
NotePlus
- No Android, Linux or web version: the site lists macOS 12, iOS 15 and Windows 10 (64-bit) or later.
- A license includes 1 year of updates. The app keeps working after that, but moving to newer versions needs a renewal at $19 per seat.
- There is no sync service of its own: notes reach other devices through the cloud folder they are stored in.
- AI chat needs your own API key from a provider, and the site describes themes for Mac, iPhone and iPad only.
Octarine
- Properties, filtered views, note types, focus mode, note sharing and every AI feature need the $79 Pro license.
- There is no public phone app: an iOS beta runs on TestFlight for eligible Pro users, and no Android app is listed.
- AI features need your own API key or a local model, and syncing relies on a file-sync service or the built-in Git sync.
- Pricing is early-access: the docs say the price goes up as Pro features are added, while earlier buyers keep all future Pro features.
Key features
NotePlus
- WYSIWYG Markdown editor
- Markdown is formatted in place as you type, with no separate preview pane. Headings, checklists, tables, code blocks and images are covered, and the file stays plain Markdown.
- Files in your own cloud folder
- Notes are kept in iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox or any folder that syncs, and that service does the syncing. No NotePlus account is involved.
- Linked notes and secret notes
- Typing two brackets and a name links to another note. A note can be locked with a password, which encrypts it in its file, and unlocked with Touch ID or Face ID.
- Kanban boards
- Boards with columns, cards and colors are saved in the same folder as the notes, and a card is dragged to another column as the work moves along.
- AI chat with your own API key
- A chat window and a sidebar assistant work with OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, Ollama and others. Chats are saved as files, and the assistant can read and update NotePlus items.
- Hub
- Works like an incoming webhook: a script, CI job or service posts text to a hook URL and it arrives in NotePlus with a notification on Mac and iPhone. Hub needs a license.
Octarine
- Markdown files you keep
- Notes are plain Markdown files in a workspace folder you pick, and core note-taking works offline. Files sync through any file-sync service or the built-in Git sync to GitHub or GitLab.
- Daily Desk
- Daily and weekly notes are part of the free plan, and unfinished tasks from yesterday's note can be moved into today's without copying.
- Links, backlinks and graph
- Wikilinks can point at a note or a single heading and carry an alias. Backlinks and mentions are listed in their own sheet, and a graph view maps the workspace.
- Properties and Views
- On Pro, Note Types start new notes with a set of properties, and Views filter, sort and group notes by any property in a table or kanban layout.
- Quick Capture and Inbox
- A Spotlight-style window opens over any app to take down a thought, which lands in an Inbox to be sorted into notes later.
- Ask Octarine and Writing Assistant
- On Pro, a chat over your notes can create, update and move notes, and an assistant rewrites text inline. Both need your own API key or a local LLM.
Plans
NotePlus
Free download$0
The app without a license. The vendor calls this a free trial and says it has no limits at present, though some functions will be limited in future releases.
Basic$29
per license, one-time purchase
For individuals: 1 Mac or Windows PC plus 2 iPhones or iPads, all premium features including Hub, and 1 year of updates and support.
Pro$39
per license, one-time purchase
2 Macs or Windows PCs plus 4 iPhones or iPads, with the same premium features and 1 year of updates and support.
Custom$29
per seat, one-time purchase, from 3 seats
For teams and companies. Each seat covers 1 Mac or Windows PC plus 2 iPhones or iPads, with 1 year of updates and support.
Octarine
Personal$0
WYSIWYG editor, unlimited workspaces, daily and weekly notes, graph view, full-text search, templates, Mermaid diagrams, 4 themes and txt export.
Pro$79
one-time purchase
Adds properties, filtered views, note types, focus mode, note sharing, AI tools, 30+ themes and PDF, HTML and DOCX export. One key works on 3 devices at a time.
Ways to pay less
NotePlus
- Other savings
Pro license covers two computers for $39
The pricing page marks the Pro license "Save 35%": it covers 2 Macs or Windows PCs and 4 iPhones or iPads for $39, where a Basic license for one computer costs $29.
- Education
50% education discount on request
The site's Education link goes to the TablePlus team's education plan, which gives students and teachers 50% off on request by email with proof of status. That page was written for TablePlus.
Octarine
No public discounts listed.
