Comparison

GitJournal vs Journal for iPad

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

Head to head
About

GitJournal

This app offers a private and portable note-taking experience, storing your entries in a Git repository of your choice. It supports offline access, folder categorization, and integration with static site generators. The app prioritizes user data control and is open-source.

Highlights
  • Offline note access
  • Stores notes in Git repositories
  • Supports GitHub, GitLab, and custom providers
  • Markdown and plaintext note formats
  • Categorize notes with folders
  • Open source and free software
  • Integrates with static site generators
Features
Read full description

GitJournal is an open source note taking / journaling app built with privacy and data portability in mind. It stores all its notes in a standardised Markdown + YAML header format or plaintext. The notes are stored in a hosted Git Repo of your choice - GitHub / GitLab / Gitea / Gogs / Any Custom-provider. Features - - Offline First - All yours notes are available offline - No Account Required - Categorize your Notes with Folders - Open source / Free Software / FOSS - Can easily be extended and integrated with other Git tools - Can also be used to manage Hugo / Jekyll / Gatsby websites - No Ads Never need to import / export your notes, as you always have control of the data. Apps may come and go, but your notes will always be with you. Git has been chosen as a backend as self-hosting a Git server is much simpler than almost any other software, additionally there are already many commercial providers of Git. So you can choose who you want to trust with your notes. We currently don't support encrypting the notes, but it's something we're actively working on.

About

Journal for iPad

Features
Read full description

Keep your personal story safe and beautifully organized. This simple writing app lets you create rich text entries and personalize your experience with colorful themes. Protect your private moments with built-in security. This makes it the perfect place for your daily reflections and pediarsonal notes. Experience the ease of digital journaling with the assurance of complete privacy. Start documenting your life, your way. Use this secure app to track your thoughts and keep a personal log. You might even find it useful for light planning or notion your mood.

Screenshots

GitJournal4 screens
Journal for iPad3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Journal for iPad at Free against GitJournal's $3.99. Journal for iPad also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11). GitJournal's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On 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

Journal for iPad is free to download; GitJournal costs $3.99 up front. GitJournal sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Journal for iPad asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GitJournal ships an update weekly, Journal for iPad every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
GitJournal versus Journal for iPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGitJournalJournal for iPad
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.1 (18 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews56.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings18 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVishesh HandaAlexei Ilin

In-app purchases

11 purchases

GitJournal

Subscriptions7
  • Monthly Pay What You Want$1.991 Month
  • Monthly, Pay What You Want$2.491 Month
  • Monthly, Pay What You Want$3.491 Month
Show 4 more
  • Monthly, Pay What You Want$4.491 Month
  • Monthly, Pay What You Want$5.491 Month
  • Monthly, Pay What You Want$6.491 Month
  • Monthly, Pay What You Want$9.991 Month
One-time4
  • One Time Purchase$31.99
  • One Time Purchase$35.99
  • One Time Purchase$40.99
Show 1 more
  • One Time Purchase$54.99
None

Journal for iPad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GitJournal free?
GitJournal costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Journal for iPad free?
Journal for iPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do GitJournal or Journal for iPad have ads?
Neither GitJournal nor Journal for iPad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GitJournal or Journal for iPad?
GitJournal ships an update weekly, and Journal for iPad every 2 weeks. Most recently, GitJournal was updated on September 28, 2026 and Journal for iPad on September 20, 2026.

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