# Basic Journal vs Note!

The clearest difference is rating: Note! at 4.7 against Basic Journal's 3.3. Note! also leads on ratings volume (1K vs 4) and review sentiment (61% vs 40%). Basic Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 13 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Basic Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Note! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Note! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Note! has 1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Basic Journal's written reviews are positive against 61% of Note!'s.

Basic Journal ships an update every 2 weeks, Note! every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic Journal | Note! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-journal/id1139438456/reviews) | **[4.7 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note/id1446333652/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **61.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 13 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [James Hudson](https://appshunter.io/developer/599997663) | [RIEU Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/446267401) |

## What reviewers say

### Basic Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-journal/id1139438456)

A fast and simple journal app designed for busy individuals to quickly jot down notes on daily activities. It offers an elegant, chronological display of entries with easy editing and export options.

**Highlights:** Quick note-taking, Chronological note display, Summary and detail views, Edit and delete notes easily, Recently edited notes highlighted, iCloud syncing, Text export option

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Note!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note/id1446333652)

This app offers a minimalist approach to note-taking, focusing on speed and simplicity. It allows for quick plain text entries, organized by modification date, with options for text resizing and passcode protection for privacy.

**Highlights:** Quick plain text notes, Sorted by latest modified, Pinch to zoom text size, Set passcode to lock notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 🚀 Efficient note-taking
- 💡 Useful for quick notes and ideas
- 👍 Clean and clutter-free interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent and intrusive ads
- 🔒 Lack of backup/export functionality
- 🔒 No option to remove ads
- 🐛 Distracting pop-ups

**Reported bugs**

- Ads disrupt note-taking experience
- Inability to delete old notes
- Lack of printing functionality

**Requested features**

- Add iCloud sync and backup
- Implement a paid, ad-free version
- Allow for note organization and sorting
- Improve text formatting and editing capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basic Journal free?

Basic Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Note! free?

Note! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Basic Journal or Note!?

Note! is rated higher. Basic Journal averages 3.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Note! averages 4.7 from 1K ratings.

### Do Basic Journal or Note! have ads?

Both Basic Journal and Note! show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Basic Journal or Note!?

Basic Journal ships an update every 2 weeks, and Note! every 13 months. Most recently, Basic Journal was updated on October 7, 2026 and Note! on October 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*