Comparison

Joplin vs Idea Notes

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

Head to head
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.

About

Idea Notes

Read full description

Never let a brilliant idea slip away again. Idea Notes is your personal idea companion - beautifully designed to capture, organize, and nurture your thoughts the moment inspiration strikes. WHY IDEA NOTES? We believe great ideas deserve a great home. Built with privacy-first principles, your thoughts stay yours - stored securely on your device with optional iCloud sync. KEY FEATURES: - One-Tap Capture - Record ideas instantly with our signature quick-capture button - Smart Categories - Organize effortlessly into 8 intuitive life categories - Powerful Search - Find any idea in seconds with instant search - Favorites System - Star your best ideas for quick access - Share Anywhere - Export individual ideas or your entire collection as text - Beautiful Design - Clean, distraction-free interface with calming gradients - Privacy First - Your data stays on your device, no accounts or sign-ups required - iCloud Sync - Optional backup across all your Apple devices PERFECT FOR: - Entrepreneurs tracking business ideas - Writers capturing story inspiration - Students organizing study insights - Professionals managing meeting notes - Creatives collecting project concepts - Anyone who values their thoughts 8 SMART CATEGORIES: - Work & Projects - Professional goals and tasks - Products, Apps & Tech - Innovation and digital ideas - Content & Storytelling - Creative writing and media - Growth & Learning - Personal development insights - Health, Energy & Habits - Wellness and lifestyle - Family & Experiences - Memories and relationships - Career & Finance - Professional growth and money - Random Sparks - Everything else that inspires you SIMPLE BY DESIGN: No complicated features. No subscriptions. No ads. No tracking. Just a beautiful, intuitive space for your ideas to flourish. YOUR PRIVACY MATTERS: We don't collect any data. Everything stays on your device. No analytics, no tracking, no servers - just you and your ideas. Start capturing your brilliance today. Your future self will thank you.

Screenshots

Joplin4 screens
Idea Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Joplin at 15.6 against Idea Notes's 17.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Joplin versus Idea Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJoplinIdea Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (480 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings480 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB4 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperLaurent CozicAbdullah Sayeed Asraf

Bugs and requests

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

Idea Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Joplin

No in-app purchases

None

Idea Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Joplin free?
Joplin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Idea Notes free?
Idea Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Joplin or Idea Notes have ads?
Neither Joplin nor Idea Notes shows ads.

Other comparisons