Comparison

Instant Notary App vs Notary eJournal

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

Head to head
About

Instant Notary App

Easily notarize your documents online from anywhere in the US. Upload your files, connect with a licensed notary, verify your identity, and receive your digitally stamped and signed documents within minutes. This service offers a convenient and affordable alternative to traditional notary methods.

Highlights
  • Upload documents for notarization
  • Connect with licensed notaries
  • Digital identity verification
  • Receive digitally stamped documents
  • Download, print, or share documents
Features
Read full description

OnlineNotary.net is a Virginia based company that can legally perform online notary to any US Citizen or US Resident. Our experienced and friendly, professionally licensed and certified notaries can help you finish your notarization needs within minutes. We have well over 30 years of industry experience and the ability to pay attention to details of your documents. Here is how it works: Using our user-friendly app, you can upload any document that you need to notarize. Here is how it works: 1. Upload Your Documents & Verify Your Identity 2. Connect to our experienced Notary Public. 3. Show us your proof of identity, such as Drivers License or US Passport. 4. We will place our seal stamp and digital signatures on your document. You will be notified when your documents are ready to download from your app. Download, Print or Share your documents directly from our app. Instantly. We are also affordable. With only $10 per document notarized, we are cheaper than going to a UPS store, a Mailbox Store, to your bank or having someone else come to you. Save time and save money with Instant Notary Service by OnlineNotary.net.

About

Notary eJournal

This digital notary journal offers a modern alternative to traditional paper journals. It helps notaries record all required information for notarizations, including thumbprints and ID scans, ensuring compliance with state guidelines.

Highlights
  • Digital replacement for paper notary journals
  • Thumbprint capture with Bluetooth scanner compatibility
  • ID scanning for automatic data entry
  • Automatic location input
  • Guided workflow for ease of use
  • Compliance with US notary journal guidelines
Features
Read full description

The Notary eJournal by Jurat INC is an electronic notary journal created to provide a digital replacement for the standard hard-bound notary journals that exist in the market. Designed by notaries in the State of California and trusted by notaries in over 45 states, it adheres to the most strict and up-to-date notary journal guidelines in the United States. Trusted by notaries in almost every industry, including; estate planning/trust documentation, automotive, loan signings, healthcare, general notary work, packing/shipping, resorts & timeshares, banking & financial institutions, and more Before considering use of any electronic notary journal, a notary public should check their state requirements to ensure adherence to all guidelines. You can also visit our webpage for information regarding which states specifically prohibit the use of an electronic notary journal, as well as other notary journal considerations The Notary eJournal was designed by signing agents in the State of California that work in the high-volume real estate & lending environment, often individually responsible for helping close hundreds of refinance, purchase and sale transactions per month. Given this workflow and industry insight, the Notary eJournal was created with the following priorities in mind: Compliance - California has some of the strictest guidelines for notaries when it comes to the notary journal. As the only State to require capturing a thumbprint for certain notarizations, it is imperative for any useful electronic notary journal to provide such functionality. Our team has tested numerous bluetooth thumbprint capturing devices and has made the Notary eJournal compatible with the best bluetooth thumbprint scanner available to the public. The link this device can be found on our website. *Note - this bluetooth thumbprint capturing device must be purchased separately Ease of Use - The guided workflow provided by the Notary eJournal will ensure your signing appointments aren’t slowed down by the process of manually writing down all entry information and using an ink pad to capture thumbprints. Technology - The Notary eJournal safely and securely implements features meant to truly make your job easier. Key features include using your device location to input location information, taking a picture of a signers ID and having all important information automatically input in the appropriate fields, and using bluetooth thumbprint technology to capture any necessary thumbprints. For a list of all product features please visit our webpage. All new users get a 14 day trial to create up to 5 signing entries - so be sure to check out the app and see what we have to offer!

Screenshots

Instant Notary App3 screens
Notary eJournal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Notary eJournal at weekly against Instant Notary App's every 3 months. Notary eJournal also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). Instant Notary App's advantage is ratings volume (8.1K vs 190) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Instant Notary App holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Instant Notary App has 8.1K ratings behind it against 190, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Instant Notary App's written reviews are positive against 89% of Notary eJournal's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Instant Notary App ships an update every 3 months, Notary eJournal weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Instant Notary App versus Notary eJournal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstant Notary AppNotary eJournal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (8.1K ratings) — better4.7 (190 ratings)
Positive reviews84.8% of reviews89.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.1K — better190
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInstant Notary LLCJurat

Customer experience

Instant Notary App

All ratings7,348 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews178 reviews
Positive84.8%
Neutral1.1%
Negative14.0%

Notary eJournal

All ratings190 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive89.1%
Neutral2.2%
Negative8.7%

User reviews

Instant Notary App

From 8.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick and easy process
  • 👍 Convenient and accessible
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient service
  • 👍 Professional and friendly staff
  • 🚀 Saved time and hassle

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional technical issues
  • 💰 Slightly more expensive than in-person
  • 🕰️ Longer wait times during peak hours

Notary eJournal

From 190 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Saves significant time
  • 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
  • 💡 Innovative features like ID scanning and fingerprint reader
  • ❤️ Excellent customer support, even from the CEO
  • 🔒 Secure and professional

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Losing entries and thumbprints
  • 🐛 Unable to create an account
  • 🐛 Cannot change date and time for manual entries
  • 🐛 Clunky interface, feels like old tech
  • 🐛 Invalid coupon codes

Bugs and requests

Instant Notary App

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inconsistent pricing information
  • Document processing delays
  • Account creation issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Option to save payment information
  • Ability to notarize multiple documents at once
  • Improved screen timeout handling during calls

Notary eJournal

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Entries and thumbprints disappearing after saving
  • Unable to create an account
  • Date and time automatically set to current for manual entries
  • Notary Assist coupon code invalid

Requested features

2 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to change date and time for manual entries

In-app purchases

None

Instant Notary App

No in-app purchases

None

Notary eJournal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Instant Notary App free?
Instant Notary App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notary eJournal free?
Notary eJournal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Instant Notary App or Notary eJournal?
Instant Notary App is rated higher. Instant Notary App averages 4.9 out of 5 from 8.1K ratings, while Notary eJournal averages 4.7 from 190 ratings.
Do Instant Notary App or Notary eJournal have ads?
Neither Instant Notary App nor Notary eJournal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Instant Notary App or Notary eJournal?
Instant Notary App ships an update every 3 months, and Notary eJournal weekly. Most recently, Instant Notary App was updated on October 26, 2026 and Notary eJournal on October 23, 2026.

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