# Notes Writer vs J

The clearest difference is review sentiment: J at 100% against Notes Writer's 45%. J also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Notes Writer's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes Writer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. J asks for nothing beyond the download.

J holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes Writer has 7.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Notes Writer's written reviews are positive against 100% of J's.

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, J every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Writer | J |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-quiz-docs/id1423643723/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-lock-screen-notes/id1634043414/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 44.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 688 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) | [Robert Libsansky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634043416) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-quiz-docs/id1423643723)

This app combines handwriting, PDFs, voice recordings, and AI for note-taking, document annotation, and idea organization. It offers a paper-like writing experience with various tools and supports students, professionals, and writers with specialized features.

**Highlights:** Handwriting with Apple Pencil, PDF annotation and form filling, Voice recording and transcription, AI-powered writing assistance, Flashcard creation and spaced repetition, Quiz generation from notes, Document import and export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $3.99 | per month |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro Full Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth writing experience
- 💡 Versatile note-taking features
- 🔒 Good privacy
- 👍 Useful for various purposes (notes, PDF annotations, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Limiting free version with paywalls
- 🐛 Bugs with erasing, page management, and file corruption
- 🐛 Laggy performance and slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or getting corrupted
- Inability to recover deleted documents
- Unexpected behavior when adding/deleting pages
- Syncing issues and broken links between documents

**Requested features**

- Add more brushes and pen customization options
- Improve the clipping/selection tool
- Implement OCR and handwriting search
- Provide a Mac version


### J

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-lock-screen-notes/id1634043414)

Capture and secure your thoughts with a note-taking app that keeps your information private and accessible. Write or draw notes, set reminders, and even place them on your Home Screen widgets. Your data remains offline and protected by Face ID or Touch ID.

**Highlights:** Write or draw notes, Set reminders and notifications, Lock notes with Face ID/Touch ID, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, Offline functionality, Color-coding and tagging, Location-based notes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Writer free?

Notes Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is J free?

J is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Notes Writer or J?

J is rated higher. Notes Writer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while J averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Notes Writer or J have ads?

Neither Notes Writer nor J shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Writer or J?

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, and J every 3 weeks. Most recently, Notes Writer was updated on November 13, 2026 and J on November 13, 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.*