# JOTA vs Understudy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: JOTA at none against Understudy's 5. Understudy's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Understudy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. JOTA asks for nothing beyond the download.

JOTA ships an update every 12 months, Understudy monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | JOTA | Understudy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Monthly** |
| Size | 2 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeff Chen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1478072186) | [Shingo Otsuhata](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871224706) |

## What reviewers say

### JOTA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jota-easy-2fa/id1478072187)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Understudy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/understudy-learn-your-lines/id6758158317)

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Understudy Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Understudy Pro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Buy me a coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Add a donut | $1.99 | one-time |
| Add a sandwich | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JOTA free?

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

### Is Understudy free?

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

### Do JOTA or Understudy have ads?

Neither JOTA nor Understudy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, JOTA or Understudy?

JOTA ships an update every 12 months, and Understudy monthly. Most recently, JOTA was updated on September 23, 2026 and Understudy on September 29, 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.*