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Why do I made note app

· 4 min read
Huy
Founder & Developer of ConniePad

I'm Huy, the developer & founder of ConniePad. I know everyone has the same question: with so many note apps out there, why did I make this one? The answer is I struggle to find any app that is lightweight, has a comprehensive formatting editor, works offline, ensures privacy for enterprise usage, has lifetime price model, and is compatible with the collaboration tools I use every day, such as Jira, Confluence, and Trello.

Firstly, my ideal note app must have an easy-to-use editor and formatting system. I can't remember Markdown syntax, don't use Git to backup my notes, and don't know how to customise style with CSS. If you don't know what those are, no worries—they're for developers. What you should care about is there are buttons to toggle bold, italic, underline, buttons to insert, resize, change tables, layouts, and expandable sections, and be able to drag and drop images, videos, and links into notes.

( To all my dev friends, don't worry, I'll hide advanced features in the config. We're good at finding hidden things like that ;) )

As an Apple fan, I believe the app should work offline, be smooth, and be native on macOS. Any delay could prevent me from capturing important information that quickly passes through my brain. I believe that multi-platform apps mean no platform is perfect. It consumes more memory, battery and lack deep integration with the OS. Since I'm not a Window, Linux, or Android user, I focus my efforts on making the app work best and integrate well with the features that the Apple ecosystem offers.

We not only take notes for personal life but also for work, business, and sensitive data. It's risky and often against company policies to store work data with 3rd-party vendors, where it can be accessed by others, to sell for ads or used for AI training. That's why I designed an app that saves notes in files and folders system on your disk - privacy-first. This familiar system lets you choose how you want to back up and sync your data, or you can let Apple iCloud handle it if you prefer.

This note formatting is compatible with Jira, Confluence, Trello, and Bitbucket—the leading work management and collaboration tools used by world-class companies like Apple, Tesla, Reddit, Canva, Mercedes-Benz, and NASA.

In my opinion, an ideal personal note app should offer a lifetime license instead of a subscription. Take Evernote as an example: users' data is held hostage, and they have to pay continuously increasing prices until they can't afford it and must find an alternative solution. Subscription models are great for low-entry trials, but when you commit to storing your personal knowledge for years, it's like entering into a rental agreement with a landlord—you could be evicted anytime. They might offer a free plan, but maintaining a free plan is a cost for them and could be cut at any time.

They can’t afford to offer a lifetime license, but my app can due to the technology I use, which gives me an advantage to offer my users a lifetime deal—unlimited usage without breaking the bank. Currently, I offer the app for $19.99 on the Mac App Store, which you can purchase once and use forever, for many years. If you do some research, you’ll find this is significantly cheaper than other competitors, which cost you $50-$150 yearly. This is a limited offer as a thank you to everyone who supports me in this early stage. I will eventually have a trial version if you want to try it before committing to buy, but the lifetime price won’t be $19.99 anymore.

If your company has Apple Business Management or your university has Apple School Management, you can get the app for free. Please contact your admin.

Remember that this app may be tax deductible in some countries, as you could claim it as a tool to generate your income. Seek advice from your accountant.

Thanks for reading this, and I really appreciate your time. The app still has many areas to improve, and I will push it forward every day. If you have any questions, feedback, or would like to connect, feel free to drop an email to huy@conniepad.com.