# Minimalist Journal — user reviews > 113 indexed App Store user reviews of Minimalist Journal by Christian Merk, rated 4.20/5 from 227 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimalist-journal/id6443493135/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimalist-journal/id6443493135.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 144 · 4★ 38 · 3★ 15 · 2★ 6 · 1★ 24 ## What do users think of Minimalist Journal? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Minimalist design - 💡 Handwriting support - 🔒 Password protection - 🚀 Simple and intuitive - 📝 Effective for journaling **Cons** - 🐛 Buggy performance - 🖌️ Limited drawing/editing tools - 💰 Paywall after limited entries - 📁 No backup/export options - 👨‍💻 Lack of customization **Commonly reported bugs** - Apple Pencil double-tap not working - Keyboard not appearing on screen - Jumping between entries while writing - Faint/invisible writing lines in dark mode **Most requested features** - Ability to erase entire pages - Option to change pen color - Landscape mode support - Sync with iCloud or other cloud storage - Undo/redo functionality ## Newest reviews (17 of 113) ### 3/5 — Good but could be better *2026-08-05, version 1.2* Switched devices and cannot 'access previous entries ### 2/5 — Horrible *2026-06-30, version 1.2* I was in love with this app and wrote 2 huge journal entries. Fast forward to today I go to write and turns out I have to pay for more than 2 entries ### 4/5 — So far so good *2026-06-18, version 1.2* Works as intended. Wish the background lines were a little more distinct. ### 4/5 — Great for daily brain dumps! *2026-05-27, version 1.2* 4.95 stars! I love this app for my daily morning pages & stream-of-consciousness journal wanderings. I started using it because I was looking for an alternative to paper while I’m traveling. Using this app on the iPad with a Paperlike cover & Apple Pencil gives me the same feeling as writing on paper. And I love it! The only thing that’s “missing” is different pen colors (I’d like to be able to highlight or note things when I review entries later). But all around, it fills the need I have to write out & process my thoughts & emotions every day. Thanks for making a great app! ### 3/5 — Apple Pencil *2026-05-13, version 1.2* I think it is great if you have a Apple Pencil but bad if you don’t ### 2/5 — Could be better *2026-05-13, version 1.2* I like that this app is free and I can write my notes like a regular pen and paper but I use this for my school notes and on regular notebooks I can use different pen colors and highlight colors to organize and differentiate my notes. Also, I don’t like how I have to use the dots at the top to find my notes on different dates and I can’t label the notes. ### 3/5 — Lefty challenge *2026-04-29, version 1.2* I’m left handed and wish there were a way to make the date buttons on the right so I am not constantly bumping them. Other than that I am happy with the app. But this is not insignificant in that it is very disruptive to the journaling process to keep having to adjust back. Update soon? ### 2/5 — Completely lost an entry *2026-03-31, version 1.2* I was finishing up a LONG entry when my ipad died on me. When I plugged it in and reentered the app, my entry was completely gone as well as the last hour and a half I'd spent writing it. ### 3/5 — Update! *2026-03-10, version 1.2* Please update the app to have different colors!!!!! ### 4/5 — Love this app! Just one thing… *2026-03-07, version 1.2* I love this app. Just started using it. But I don’t know if this is the point of the app being it a minimalistic journal, but I’d love to see a few options for colors (red, blue, green). Might be nitpicking, but other than this app is great. ### 4/5 — Boring *2026-03-05, version 1.2* It’s a lil plain and simple but i guess that’s because i have the free version. Other than that, it does its job allowing me to journal daily ### 4/5 — Great for journaling *2026-02-20, version 1.2* Love this journal. Use it daily. Not great for left handed people though. I keep bumping the dates on the left side. Also be nice if it had a feature to block out the blue light. Overall, 4 stars! ### 2/5 — Love it but can improve *2026-01-13, version 1.2* So far I’m going traditional writing and this app is allowing me to freely do it. I love minimalist and simple. There are a few bugs that when writing after several lines the pencil will not show the actual scribe. Also the lines are too faded specially in dark mode hard to keep writing at night if this is enabled on light and dark mode. ### 3/5 — Great Concept But Lacking *2025-11-30, version 1.2* I really want to use this app, because I love to hand write, but being that I am left handed and the date bar shows up on the left hand side, I keep hitting it while I am writing. Also, it is not tuned in to the apple pencil functionality. Overall, great concept, just needs some minor changes to make it compatible with lefties. ### 3/5 — Great concept *2025-11-24, version 1.2* I love the natural writing concept here but the ability to export the entries to pdf is pointless if it’s so crammed onto one page that you cannot read it with naked eye. ### 4/5 — Good journaling app *2025-11-15, version 1.2* Great app. Just wish there was an option for darker lines. And I’d like to turn off night mode. ### 4/5 — User friendly *2025-11-04, version 1.2* It’s easy for the minimalist and covers the basics for my needs ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — You have to pay for it *2026-08-13, version 1.2* I think that silly. You are putting down thoughts ### 1/5 — BAD *2026-07-22, version 1.2* Really bad I mean really really bad ### 1/5 — Worst app ever *2026-07-14, version 1.2* It’s so hard to write with a pencil. I know a Apple Pencil and I can’t even get it to work and yeah, so it’s still worst app ever I do not recommend it. ### 1/5 — Not great *2026-04-21, version 1.2* I have no idea what I paid 8$ for. You just write and nothing else.Maybe I’m missing something. ### 1/5 — Hmmmm... *2026-02-08, version 1.2* This would have been the perfect app for me, but... The keyboard doesn't appear on screen, so I cannot write (except with my finger - that part works). ### 1/5 — Does not work, can’t seek help *2025-11-03, version 1.2* It’s useless, I paid $9 and I can’t do anything with it. I can’t type or use my Apple Pencil, I am expected to journal with my finger? I want my money back!!! I have no way to even ask for help. ### 1/5 — . *2025-09-11, version 1.2* Makes you pay for more pages keep writing ### 1/5 — Useless! *2025-07-20, version 1.2* Can’t use stylus, can’t use finger, stuck on eraser. No way to access instructions. Am deleting this useless app! ### 1/5 — Help *2025-06-12, version 1.2* Where are the instructions for use? Erase? ### 1/5 — Lacks Functionality *2025-05-15, version 1.2* I thought this would work as my go to app, but it doesn’t work for sharing, printing or converting to pdf. I tried this and is shrinks and doesn’t work. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Perfect journal *2026-08-05, version 1.2* If you’re looking for an app where you can keep a journal daily, this is it. ### 5/5 — Simply and useful *2026-06-13, version 1.2* Very useful to use ### 5/5 — Ilver *2026-04-27, version 1.2* Villasmil ### 5/5 — , Love this *2026-02-13, version 1.2* So awesome just like a therapist ### 5/5 — Clean and simple *2026-01-06, version 1.2* - I have ADHD so you know I’ve revamped this review 8 times. - - This app is perfect for me because I have ADHD. - The format is simple and basic - It works great with the Apple Pencil - It doesn’t read my palm when I’m writing - I love the fact that I can journal as much as I need in one day. The other “journal” app only let me have so much space to write, it would stop scrolling so that I can write some more. ### 5/5 — I love it. It’s everything I need *2026-01-02, version 1.2* Great ### 5/5 — Perfect app 🤩 *2025-11-02, version 1.2* This is the best app you can put anything you want on the journal and you can lock the journal just for you to unlock if it’s to personal 😜 you are able to draw on it also just like either other journals you can put decoration all around your writes you can draw any time any day you can literally draw anything that you don’t want anyone else to know and lock it right up ( THIS IS A SIGH TO GET THIS APP ASLAP ) !! 🥳🥳🥳😎😎 ### 5/5 — Minimal *2025-10-03, version 1.2* Minimal, easy, and I can actually write like a paper journal with my iPad and pencil. Great app ### 5/5 — Journaling without paper *2025-09-29, version 1.2* I’m loving it. Would love to be able to save or print the entire journal. Currently, unless I’m doing it wrong, I can only save one day at a time. ### 5/5 — Phenomenal! *2025-09-05, version 1.2* I was looking for an app that would allow me to hand write my notes, so I could avoid having to buy another note book (I've been through so many already this year). I stumbled across this one and have already spent days on end writing in it. It's so simple to use, and you can understand how to work the settings and controls fairly quickly. I would absolutely recommend this app to other people with confidence. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-18.*