Comparison

IoT OnOff vs Joplin

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

IoT OnOff

Monitor and control your Internet of Things projects with this app. It offers interactive widgets for data presentation and in-app configuration. Supports JSON formatted MQTT messages and includes a demo configuration for immediate use.

Highlights
  • Interactive widgets for IoT data
  • In-app configuration
  • JSON formatted MQTT message handling
  • Customizable themes
  • Multiple dashboards
  • Auto reconnect to MQTT broker
  • Topic builder with autocomplete
Features
Read full description

Monitor and control your Internet Of Things (IoT) projects with this app. Everything can be configured inside the app. The app is preconfigured with a demo configuration so that you experience the simplicity directly after the install. (Tip: use two devices to see and feel the speed of the app.) Optionally, JSON formatted MQTT messages can be handled. We designed smart interactive widgets (controls) so your IoT data will be presented nice and smooth. Under the MQTT broker settings menu we have foreseen a list with public available MQTT brokers. We are not responsible for the availability of these brokers. If the default broker is not active, please select another one of the list or configure your own. Features: * Nice set of widgets * In-app configuration * Theme support * Customisable themes, locally and remote * Auto reconnect to MQTT broker * Native TCP sockets & WebSockets * Client support for topic filters with wildcards * Grid layout with rearrange support * Multiple dashboards * High performance * JSON parser (optionally) * Backup / restore (optionally) * Export / import (optionally) * Export / import single widget from one device to another (optionally) * Copy and move widgets from one dashboard to another * Topic builder with autocomplete * Manage list of MQTT brokers * E-mail support * GDPR compliant No advertising in the app. Have fun!

About

Joplin

A privacy-focused note-taking and to-do application that allows you to capture multimedia notes, organize them with notebooks and tags, and sync across devices. It offers end-to-end encryption and an offline-first approach for secure and accessible information management.

Highlights
  • Capture multimedia notes (speech, photos, videos, PDFs)
  • Organize notes with notebooks and tags
  • Create to-dos and set reminders
  • End-to-end encryption for privacy
  • Cross-device synchronization (Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive)
  • Offline-first access
  • OCR search for text within images and PDFs
Features
Read full description

Privacy-first app Capture your thoughts freely and without distractions, tracking, or ads. With Joplin’s end-to-end encryption and open-source code, you can concentrate on your ideas and tasks without worrying about your privacy. Capture multimedia notes Capture multimedia notes effortlessly. In Joplin you can : • create manuscript notes, • transcribe speech to note, • add multimedia: photos, videos, PDFs, and images, • insert documents as attachments, • create math expressions, add tables, write code and insert diagrams, • create to-dos and add reminders. Organise your ideas Organise your notes into notebooks. Connect your notes with tags by subject or priority. Use colours and rich text editor to format your notes with ease. Make task lists, create to-dos and add reminders. Effortlessly find your notes, even within PDFs and images, thanks to the powerful search feature enhanced by Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. Use Joplin to store your bills, lecture notes, photos or receipts. Reliable synchronisation Access your notes from computer, phone or tablet by synchronising with various services including Joplin Cloud, Dropbox and OneDrive. Seamlessly move from one device to another. Offline-first You can access your notes anytime and anywhere, even without Internet. If you’re using Joplin on multiple devices, they will synchronise and update once you regained the connection. Enhance your productivity across devices Extend your note-taking experience by using Joplin on additional devices such as a desktop computer or tablet. Make the most of each device by using its specific features. On the desktop app, use a web clipper extension, wide-range of community plugins and a Markdown editor. Experience flawless handwriting and drawing on your tablet. Join active community Connect with Joplin’s vibrant community on Joplin Forum. It’s a place where users can share ideas, ask questions, exchange information and give feedback. Joplin’s dynamic community also develops powerful plugins, so you can customise your app to suit your needs.

Screenshots

IoT OnOff4 screens
Joplin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Joplin at 4.1 against IoT OnOff's 3.5. Joplin also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (480 vs 14). IoT OnOff's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. IoT OnOff sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Joplin asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Joplin holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Joplin has 480 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of IoT OnOff's written reviews are positive against 66% of Joplin's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IoT OnOff ships an update every 3 weeks, Joplin monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
IoT OnOff versus Joplin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIoT OnOffJoplin
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (14 ratings)4.1 (480 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.5% of reviews66.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14480 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKris Van HoyeLaurent Cozic

Customer experience

IoT OnOff

All ratings14 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive48.5%
Neutral21.2%
Negative30.3%

Joplin

All ratings476 ratings
Positive76.7%
Neutral6.3%
Negative17.0%
Written reviews495 reviews
Positive66.5%
Neutral9.3%
Negative24.2%

User reviews

IoT OnOff

From 14 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works well with MQTT
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive GUI
  • 👍 Configurable interface
  • 👍 Good for prototyping
  • 👍 Works with local brokers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent responsiveness
  • 🐛 UI issues on modern iPhones
  • 🐛 Buttons hard to tap
  • 🐛 Graph widgets limited
  • 🐛 Lacks documentation

Joplin

From 480 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app
  • 🔒 End-to-end encryption
  • 👍 Excellent cross-platform support
  • 👍 Intuitive Markdown support
  • 👍 Flexible sync options (Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sync issues, especially on iOS
  • 🐛 Buggy UI, especially on iOS
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Slow performance at times
  • 🐛 Confusing interface, not very intuitive

Bugs and requests

IoT OnOff

Reported bugs

55 issues
  • Icons sometimes not working
  • App does not respond to screen clicks
  • Cannot save groups or add items
  • Storage Manager does not see saved configs
  • Interface forces users to keep tapping
Show 50 more
  • App does not account for screen island
  • Restore data not found after reinstall
  • Graph widgets only update when app is in foreground
  • Menu buttons too close to corners
  • Buttons too close to top/corners of screen
  • App regularly locks up
  • App crashes when trying to connect to broker
  • JSON with underscore character results in unknown
  • Buttons at top/bottom don't work
  • Top/bottom controls don't work
  • Cannot subscribe to anything
  • Back button on subscribe UI does not react
  • App is buggy and moody about connecting to MQTT
  • Connection status message blinks on and off
  • Does not update button status if commanded locally
  • Stopped connecting to MQTT server
  • JSON converter does not convert numbers correctly
  • Cannot connect to broker anymore
  • Cannot configure iPhone XR
  • Buttons by the notch require multiple taps
  • Cannot add topic in settings
  • Keyboard does not appear on input field
  • Cannot connect to CloudMQTT
  • App tries to subscribe to a fixed topic
  • Does not get messages when subscribing
  • Errors appear at the server when editing dashboard while connected
  • Seems incompatible with Thingspeak.com broker
  • No log message for connection struggles
  • App bombard network with Google Analytics requests
  • Not working on iOS 9.3.5
  • App lost configuration by closing the app
  • Cannot connect to my broker
  • Controls at the top of the screen are hard to interact with
  • Does not connect to broker
  • UI issues on modern iPhones
  • Buttons hard to tap
  • Restore data not working
  • JSON parsing issues
  • App crashes
  • Not working on latest iOS
  • Does not update when in background
  • Family sharing not working
  • Tracking in app
  • Incompatible with some brokers
  • Lacks instructions
  • Does not display all data
  • Automatic updates limited
  • Lost configuration
  • Not connecting to broker
  • Few widgets available

Requested features

14 requests
  • Add shortcuts for voice commands
  • Add momentary push button widget
  • Add more colorful widgets
  • Add datalogger widget
  • Add ability to connect to multiple brokers simultaneously
Show 9 more
  • Add notifications when changing topic
  • Add support for Russian language
  • Add option to select number of switches and their labels
  • Add ability to extract specific bits from data
  • Add joystick control widget
  • Add large light display and control widget
  • Add percentage value for blinds
  • Add simple animated pictogram
  • Add X/Y control widget

Joplin

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Sync issues with WebDAV and Dropbox
  • Crashes when creating new notes
  • Keyboard issues, text getting obscured
  • Rendering problems in dark mode
  • Compatibility issues with older iOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add web clipper functionality on iOS
  • Implement nested notebooks on iOS
  • Allow password/biometric protection for notes
  • Improve text editing experience on mobile
  • Add more font and formatting options
Show 1 more
  • Implement a trash/recycle bin for deleted notes

In-app purchases

3 purchases

IoT OnOff

One-time3
  • Premium edition$2.99
  • JSON parser$2.99
  • Storage Manager$2.99
None

Joplin

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is IoT OnOff free?
IoT OnOff is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Joplin free?
Joplin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, IoT OnOff or Joplin?
Joplin is rated higher. IoT OnOff averages 3.5 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Joplin averages 4.1 from 480 ratings.
Do IoT OnOff or Joplin have ads?
Neither IoT OnOff nor Joplin shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IoT OnOff or Joplin?
IoT OnOff ships an update every 3 weeks, and Joplin monthly. Most recently, IoT OnOff was updated on October 24, 2026 and Joplin on October 29, 2026.

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