Apple Notes Exporter Pro vs Exporter: Which One Should You Buy?
Two solid ways to get your notes out of Apple Notes. One is free and does two formats. One costs $14.99 and does ten. Here is how to tell which fits your job.
Quick Answer
Pick Exporter if a Markdown or HTML backup is all you need and you want to spend nothing. Pick Apple Notes Exporter Pro if you need your notes as PDF or Word, want several formats from one export, or want backups that run on a schedule. Both keep your folders, dates, and attachments, and both run entirely on your Mac.
Apple Notes is easy to write in and hard to get out of. There is no simple File menu that hands you a folder full of your notes in the format you want. That gap is why export tools exist, and the two most common picks are Exporter, a free Mac App Store app by Chintan Ghate, and Apple Notes Exporter Pro, a paid app from 1dot.ai.
They solve the same core problem in different ways. Exporter does one thing cleanly: it pulls your whole Notes library into Markdown or HTML files, with attachments and folder names intact. Apple Notes Exporter Pro does the same job but adds eight more output formats, including the two people ask about most, PDF and Word.
This guide walks through the real differences so you can stop comparing feature lists and just choose. No tool is better in every case. The right answer depends on what you plan to do with the notes once they are out.
At a glance
Exporter is the tool you reach for when you want a fast, free, no-fuss backup and you are comfortable with Markdown or HTML. It is well made, it is read-only so it never touches your originals, and it has been maintained for years. The current version is 4.0.8. Its only paid extra is a $4.99 notebook filter for people who want to export a subset of their folders rather than everything.
Apple Notes Exporter Pro is the tool you reach for when the format matters. Lawyers who need PDF records, writers moving to Word, developers exporting to Markdown or JSON, and people building an EPUB or LaTeX archive all need something Exporter does not produce. Apple Notes Exporter Pro covers ten formats in a single app and adds scheduled exports, so a fresh backup can run without you remembering to do it.
Export formats: the main dividing line
This is the difference that decides most choices. Exporter outputs two formats: Markdown and HTML. That is it. If you attach a PDF or a Word file to a note, Exporter copies that file out for you, but it will not turn the note itself into a PDF or a Word document. The note text comes out as Markdown or HTML.
For a lot of people, that is fine. Markdown is plain text, it is future-proof, and it imports cleanly into Obsidian, Notion, Bear, and almost every modern notes app. If your plan is to back up or migrate to a Markdown tool, Exporter gets you there.
Apple Notes Exporter Pro outputs ten formats: PDF, Word (DOCX), Markdown, HTML, Plain Text, RTF, EPUB, LaTeX, JSON, and JSONL for AI training. The reason that list matters is that different jobs need different formats:
- PDF for records, legal files, printing, or handing a note to someone who should not edit it.
- Word for sharing with colleagues who live in Microsoft Office.
- Markdown for Obsidian, Notion, and other knowledge tools.
- JSON or JSONL for developers and anyone feeding notes into a script or an AI workflow.
- EPUB or LaTeX for turning long notes into books or typeset documents.
If you only ever want Markdown, this longer list does not help you and the free app is the smarter buy. The moment you need even one format Exporter does not make, the calculation flips.
Recent macOS versions added a native File > Export as > Markdown option in Notes. It works for a handful of notes, but it flattens folder structure and gives no format choice. For a whole library, a dedicated tool is still the more reliable route.
Attachments, folders, and dates
Here the two apps are close. Both keep the things people are most afraid of losing. Your folder structure comes across, so a note that lived in a folder called Travel ends up in a Travel folder on disk. Both preserve creation and modification dates, which matters if you sort or search by time.
Both also handle attachments the same way in principle. Images, scanned documents, PDFs, audio, and video that were embedded in a note get copied into folders alongside the exported note. Exporter is explicit that it captures images, audio, video, documents, hand-written notes, scans, to-do lists, hashtags, mentions, and tables. Apple Notes Exporter Pro keeps attachments connected to their notes in the same way.
So if your only worry is a safe, complete copy of everything with attachments intact, both apps do that. The choice comes back to what format the note text lands in.
Price: free versus $14.99
Exporter is free. The full Markdown and HTML export costs nothing and has no time limit. There is one optional in-app purchase, a Notebook Filter for $4.99 that lets you export chosen notebooks instead of the whole library. For most people the free version is all they will use.
Apple Notes Exporter Pro is $14.99, paid once, with lifetime updates and no subscription. Folder selection is built in, so there is no add-on to buy on top. The question is not which is cheaper, because Exporter obviously is. The question is whether the extra formats and scheduled backups are worth $14.99 to you.
A useful way to think about it: if you would otherwise pay for a separate PDF converter, or spend an afternoon copying notes into Word by hand, the one-time price tends to pay for itself on the first real export. If Markdown is genuinely all you need, it does not, and you should keep your $14.99.
Platform and privacy
Both are Mac-only apps, and both are private in the way that matters most. Neither uploads your notes. Everything happens on your machine. Exporter states plainly that it performs read-only operations on your Notes data and collects nothing. Apple Notes Exporter Pro processes everything on-device as well. Your notes never travel to a server with either one.
On system support, Exporter runs a little further back, on macOS 10.15 Catalina and later. Apple Notes Exporter Pro requires macOS 11 Big Sur or later. Both run natively on Apple Silicon, so M1, M2, and M3 Macs are covered either way. If you are on a very old Mac still running Catalina, Exporter is your option.
Neither has an iPhone or iPad version, because reading the Notes database is a desktop job. That is not a real limit in practice. Run the export on your Mac and any notes that sync through iCloud, including ones you wrote on your phone, are included.
Full comparison table
| Feature | Apple Notes Exporter Pro | Exporter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 one-time, lifetime updates | Free ($4.99 in-app for notebook filter) |
| Export formats | PDF, Word, Markdown, HTML, Plain Text, RTF, EPUB, LaTeX, JSON, JSONL (10) | Markdown, HTML (2) |
| Exports to PDF | Yes | No (attached PDFs only) |
| Exports to Word / DOCX | Yes | No |
| Attachments (images, PDFs, video) | Yes, kept with each note | Yes, kept with each note |
| Preserves folder structure | Yes | Yes |
| Keeps creation / modified dates | Yes | Yes |
| Batch export whole library | Yes | Yes |
| Select specific folders | Yes, built in | Yes, with $4.99 filter add-on |
| Scheduled auto-export | Yes (daily / weekly / monthly) | No |
| Runs fully offline / local | Yes | Yes |
| Read-only, never edits notes | Yes | Yes |
| macOS supported | macOS 11 Big Sur and later | macOS 10.15 Catalina and later |
| Apple Silicon (M1 / M2 / M3) | Yes | Yes |
Details reflect Apple Notes Exporter Pro and Exporter version 4.0.8 as of July 2026. Verify current features on each product page before buying.
Which one should you choose?
Markdown or HTML is all you need, and free is the goal. Exporter is the clear pick.
For records, printing, or sharing with Office users, Exporter cannot make these. Apple Notes Exporter Pro can.
Both make clean Markdown. Use Exporter for a one-time move, Apple Notes Exporter Pro if you also want a PDF or Word copy kept.
Scheduled daily, weekly, or monthly exports mean you never forget. Exporter is manual only.
Exporter is an excellent free tool and there is no shame in it being the right answer. If Markdown or HTML covers your needs, use it and save the money. The case for Apple Notes Exporter Pro is specific and honest: you pay $14.99 once to unlock PDF, Word, and seven other formats, plus scheduled backups. Buy it for what it does that the free app cannot, not because paid sounds safer.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Exporter app free?
Yes. Exporter by Chintan Ghate is free on the Mac App Store. It has one optional in-app purchase, a Notebook Filter that costs $4.99 and lets you export selected notebooks instead of everything. The core Markdown and HTML export is free with no time limit.
What formats does Exporter support?
Exporter outputs two formats: Markdown and HTML. It also copies your attachments (images, PDFs, Word documents, audio, and video) into folders next to each note, but it does not convert your notes themselves into PDF, Word, RTF, or any other format. If a PDF was attached to a note, you get that PDF back. If you want your note turned into a PDF, that is a different job.
Does Apple Notes Exporter Pro export to PDF and Word?
Yes. Apple Notes Exporter Pro converts your notes into ten formats: PDF, Word (DOCX), Markdown, HTML, Plain Text, RTF, EPUB, LaTeX, JSON, and JSONL for AI training. This is the main difference from Exporter, which is limited to Markdown and HTML.
Which app is better for backing up Apple Notes?
For a plain, readable archive of everything, both work well and both keep your folder structure and dates. Exporter is the free choice if Markdown or HTML is fine. Apple Notes Exporter Pro is the better fit if you need a specific format like PDF for records, Word for sharing, or if you want scheduled backups that run on their own.
Do either of these apps upload my notes to the cloud?
No. Both run entirely on your Mac and do the export locally. Exporter states it performs read-only operations and collects no data. Apple Notes Exporter Pro also processes everything on-device. Your notes never leave your computer with either tool.
macOS Notes can already export Markdown. Do I still need one of these?
Recent macOS versions added a File > Export as > Markdown option, and it works for small jobs. It falls short on volume and control: bulk selection is clumsy, folder structure is flattened, and you get no format choice beyond Markdown. Both Exporter and Apple Notes Exporter Pro handle large libraries and preserve structure more reliably, and Apple Notes Exporter Pro adds the formats Apple does not offer.
Can Exporter run on iPhone or iPad?
No. Exporter is a Mac-only app because of how it reads the Notes database. Apple Notes Exporter Pro is also a macOS app. For either one, run the export on your Mac and your iPhone notes will be included as long as they sync through iCloud.
Which should I pick if I am migrating to Obsidian or Notion?
Markdown is the format both of those tools import best, and both apps produce clean Markdown with attachments. Exporter is enough for a one-time move. Apple Notes Exporter Pro is worth it if you also want a PDF or Word copy for safekeeping, or if you plan to re-export regularly as you keep adding notes.
Keep reading
- Export Apple Notes as PDF for the format Exporter cannot make.
- Export Apple Notes as Markdown for the format both apps share.
- Migrate Apple Notes to Obsidian for a full move to a Markdown vault.
- Backup Apple Notes to an external drive for a readable offline copy.
- Browse all Apple Notes export guides.
Need more than Markdown?
Apple Notes Exporter Pro turns your notes into PDF, Word, and eight other formats in one pass, with attachments and folder structure kept and everything processed on your Mac.