Basic Journal vs Forem Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Basic Journal
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.
- Quick note-taking
- Chronological note display
- Summary and detail views
- Edit and delete notes easily
- Recently edited notes highlighted
- iCloud syncing
- Text export option
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Waste less time fiddling with your phone, and spend more time learning, working, or training! If you are an active or busy person, you need to take notes quickly, easily, on whatever device you have with you. This app is a fast and simple journal/diary for your daily activities. This app is ideal for fitness enthusiasts, gym users, dancers who need to make notes on choreography, or anyone who needs fast and simple note-taking. Why this app? Other note-taking apps are complicated and difficult to navigate, and your notes are quickly buried. They are just not practical for quickly noting down or recalling corrections and notes during a class, lecture or workshop. This app keeps all your notes on display in a large, friendly format, in chronological order. • Elegant and simple layout of notes by date. • Summary view for a quick overview. • Detail view to browse all notes at once. • Edit or delete notes quickly from any screen. • Recently edited notes are highlighted. Data storage: • Your notes are synced across all your iOS devices. It doesn't matter if you delete the app or lose your device; your notes are stored with Apple's iCloud (subject to iCloud availability, and it being enabled on your device). • Text export option: you can get all your notes out of the software any time you want, to keep your own backups, share, or use elsewhere. NOTES Accidents happen, so it is recommended that you make regular backups with the export function. You are responsible for maintaining your own backups in case of data loss. It may take a while to sync your existing notes when you first install the app on an extra device: be patient! Make sure iCloud is enabled on your device to use the syncing feature.
Forem Notes
Capture notes, organize tasks, and set reminders with this simple and elegant app. Features include color coding, folders, tags, real-time collaboration, and progress tracking to boost productivity. Secure your data with biometric locks and access notes from your home screen.
- Instant note capture
- Task and list organization
- Customizable reminders
- Real-time collaboration
- Password and biometric security
- Home screen widgets
- Progress tracking
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Forem Notes is a simple and reliable note-taking app designed to help you record important information, create checklists, and manage your daily tasks. Whether you're taking meeting notes, writing study notes, planning projects, or creating shopping lists, Forem Notes keeps everything organized and easy to access. Designed with a clean and intuitive interface, Forem Notes lets you focus on your ideas without unnecessary distractions. Write Notes with Ease Create notes whenever inspiration strikes and keep your important information organized in one place. Use Forem Notes to capture: • Personal notes • Meeting notes • Study notes • Business ideas • Daily reminders • Travel plans • Recipes • Journal entries • Project notes Create Checklists and To-Do Lists Stay organized by creating checklists for your everyday activities. Perfect for: • Daily tasks • Shopping lists • Grocery lists • Work projects • Packing lists • Goal planning • Event planning Organize Your Information Keep your notes structured and easy to find whenever you need them. Whether you're organizing personal information, work documents, study materials, or creative ideas, Forem Notes helps you stay productive. Find Notes Quickly Search your notes instantly to locate important information without scrolling through endless pages. Simple, Clean, and Reliable Forem Notes is built for speed and simplicity. Features include: • Fast note creation • Easy editing • Clean interface • Quick search • Organized note management • Lightweight performance Perfect For • Students • Professionals • Entrepreneurs • Writers • Teachers • Freelancers • Families • Anyone looking for a simple and reliable notebook Why Choose Forem Notes? • Capture ideas instantly • Organize notes effortlessly • Create checklists for everyday tasks • Keep important information in one place • Find notes quickly with search • Stay productive throughout the day • Simple, fast, and easy to use Whether you're managing work, planning your day, studying, or recording personal ideas, Forem Notes provides a simple and dependable way to keep everything organized. Download Forem Notes today and make note-taking easier, faster, and more organized.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Forem Notes at 100% against Basic Journal's 40%. Forem Notes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Basic Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Basic Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Forem Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.
Forem Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Basic Journal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Forem Notes's.
Basic Journal ships an update every 2 weeks, Forem Notes monthly. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Basic Journal | Forem Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 71 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | James Hudson | Forem Software |
Customer experience
Basic Journal
Forem Notes
In-app purchases
Basic Journal
- Remove Ads$0.99
Forem Notes
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Basic Journal free?
Is Forem Notes free?
Which has better reviews, Basic Journal or Forem Notes?
Do Basic Journal or Forem Notes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Basic Journal or Forem Notes?
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