# Paper vs Minimalist Journal

The clearest difference is rating: Paper at 4.7 against Minimalist Journal's 4.0. Paper also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (72% vs 58%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paper sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Minimalist Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Paper holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 377 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Paper's written reviews are positive against 58% of Minimalist Journal's.

Paper ships an update monthly, Minimalist Journal every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paper | Minimalist Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841/reviews)** | [4.0 (377 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimalist-journal/id6443493135/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 377 |
| Positive reviews | **71.6% of reviews** | 58.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 85 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mihhail Lapushkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143513743) | [Christian Merk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1487924099) |

## What reviewers say

### Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841)

This app offers a clean and configurable writing environment for various creative projects. It supports Markdown and plain text, syncs with iCloud, and integrates with other tools. Users can publish drafts to popular blogging platforms and export documents in multiple formats.

**Highlights:** Gorgeous writing space, Silky-smooth typing, Deep personalization (Pro), Markdown or Plain Text support, iCloud sync, Publish to Medium, WordPress, Ghost, Export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, ePub

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Features | $29.99 | per month |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Features | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $99.99 | one-time |
| Pro Features | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💗 Fantastic app
- 🎀 Great tool for writers
- 👍 Clean writing app
- 🤩 Awesome app
- 👍 Cute animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and unreliable
- 💰 Paywalled features
- 🐛 Lost files and documents
- 🐛 Cursor issues
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable

**Reported bugs**

- Files randomly disappearing
- Cursor issues causing freezes
- Syncing and iCloud integration problems

**Requested features**

- Add image support
- Improve file management and recovery
- Expand font and customization options
- Implement team/collaborative writing features
- Add text formatting options like italics and bold


### Minimalist Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimalist-journal/id6443493135)

Capture your thoughts and ideas digitally with a handwriting experience that mimics pen on paper. Utilize Apple Pencil for precision and ease, transforming your device into a personal diary. Unlock unlimited entries with a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Handwritten journaling, Apple Pencil support, Digital diary, Capture thoughts and ideas, Unlimited entries unlock

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited entries | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Minimalist design
- 💡 Handwriting support
- 🔒 Password protection
- 🚀 Simple and intuitive
- 📝 Effective for journaling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy performance
- 🖌️ Limited drawing/editing tools
- 💰 Paywall after limited entries
- 📁 No backup/export options
- 👨‍💻 Lack of customization

**Reported bugs**

- Apple Pencil double-tap not working
- Keyboard not appearing on screen
- Jumping between entries while writing
- Faint/invisible writing lines in dark mode

**Requested features**

- Ability to erase entire pages
- Option to change pen color
- Landscape mode support
- Sync with iCloud or other cloud storage
- Undo/redo functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paper free?

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

### Is Minimalist Journal free?

Minimalist Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Paper or Minimalist Journal?

Paper is rated higher. Paper averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Minimalist Journal averages 4.0 from 377 ratings.

### Do Paper or Minimalist Journal have ads?

Neither Paper nor Minimalist Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Paper or Minimalist Journal?

Paper ships an update monthly, and Minimalist Journal every 3 months. Most recently, Paper was updated on October 25, 2026 and Minimalist Journal on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*