Comparison

Monotter vs Commonplace

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

Head to head
About

Monotter

This private life-logging app allows you to record brief, diary-like texts that are never shared online. Your entries form a personal timeline, with features like search, location tracking, and status prefixes to organize your thoughts and activities.

Highlights
  • Private life-logging
  • Timeline view of entries
  • Powerful search by hashtag, place, rating
  • Automatic location tracking
  • Status prefixes for tasks
  • Calendar export for events
  • Todo management with checkboxes
Features
Read full description

Monotter is a private life-logging app that lets you jot down and store brief, diary-like texts—never shared online. Your accumulated notes form a Timeline, and each individual note is called an Entry. Keep your thoughts and activities securely recorded for personal reflection. • Powerful Search: Filter entries by hashtag, place, or rating • Location Tracking: Automatically record where you make an entry and name places to auto-label future entries at the same location • Status Prefixes: Prepend /start, /end, /todo, or /done to mark “start”, “end”, “todo”, or “done” states • Calendar Export: Export paired /start–end entries as events to iOS Calendar • Todo Management: Display a checkbox on to-do entries—tap to mark as done • Rating System: Tap to rate entries and sort your timeline by date or rating Features: • Apple Watch Support: Add entries from your watch and launch via a complication • Siri Shortcuts: Automate entries with voice, NFC tags, or time-based triggers • Widget: Show your latest or highest-rated entry on the home screen Unlock the 1,000-entry limit with an in-app purchase.

About

Commonplace

This app reimagines the historical Commonplace Book for modern thinkers. It offers a private, distraction-free space to curate and recall profound insights, quotes, and observations. Intelligent recall features help you remember what you've saved, fostering deeper understanding and communication.

Highlights
  • Curate quotes and observations
  • Intelligent recall and testing
  • Distraction-free writing interface
  • Privacy-first architecture
  • Beautiful typography and dark mode
  • Organize and capture ideas effortlessly
Read full description

We are drowning in content, but starving for wisdom. For centuries, history’s greatest minds —from Marcus Aurelius to Virginia Woolf — kept a "Commonplace Book." It was a central archive to curate the quotes, anecdotes, and observations that shaped their worldview and cultivated their wisdom. But today, we have lost this practice. We consume more than ever, but retain less. Our most profound insights are buried in screenshot folders, lost in generic "Notes" apps, or forgotten in the infinite scroll. Commonplace is the return to depth. We have reimagined the historical Commonplace Book for the modern thinker and communicator. We combined the tactile beauty of a personal library with the power of digital recall. WHY COMMONPLACE? - A Sanctuary, Not a Feed Social media is designed to be forgotten. Commonplace is designed to be kept. We replaced the cluttered list view with a calm, editorial-style interface that gives weight and dignity to the words that resonate with you. - Curate, Don't Just Collect. A library is of little use if you never visit it. Unlike a standard notebook, Commonplace uses intelligent recall to gently surface and test you on past entries, ensuring the wisdom you curate today is remembered tomorrow. - A Quiet Place to Think. Beautiful typography on warm cream paper, with a dark mode for late-night reading. When you enter the Writer, the interface fades away — no toolbars, no distractions. Just you and the ideas you want to capture. - For Thinkers & Communicators. Whether you are writing a speech, leading a team, or journaling for clarity, your best ideas are now at your fingertips. Capture instantly; organize effortlessly. • Private & Timeless. Your mind belongs to you. Commonplace is built with a privacy-first architecture. No ads, no tracking, or notifications. Just a quiet space for your thoughts. Start building your collection. Join the tradition. Download Commonplace today.

Screenshots

Monotter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Commonplace at Free against Monotter's $1.99. Commonplace also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Monotter's advantage is rating (3.3 vs 3.0) and device support. On ratings volume 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

Commonplace is free to download; Monotter costs $1.99 up front. Monotter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Commonplace asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Monotter holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Monotter versus Commonplace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonotterCommonplace
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating3.3 (3 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNo—
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — better—
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmallmakeMark Connolly

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Monotter

One-time1
  • Monotter Unlock$1.99
None

Commonplace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Monotter free?
Monotter costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Commonplace free?
Commonplace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Monotter or Commonplace?
Monotter is rated higher. Monotter averages 3.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Commonplace averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

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