# SaveThings vs Journal

The clearest difference is ads: SaveThings at none against Journal's shown. SaveThings also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 72 months) and ratings volume (18 vs 6). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SaveThings holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 18 respectively.

SaveThings ships an update every 72 months, Journal every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SaveThings | Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/savethings/id1494494142/reviews)** | [4.8 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-notes-pdf-and-planner/id6806174631/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 72 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 1 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.2** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dongwoo Pae](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483548085) | [Global Mobile App Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1783684102) |

## What reviewers say

### SaveThings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/savethings/id1494494142)

Securely store your IDs, passwords, and notes directly on your device using biometric authentication. Dictate notes with on-device speech recognition in multiple languages and organize them with categories for easy searching and sharing.

**Highlights:** Biometric ID/Password security, On-device voice note-taking, Multi-language speech recognition, Note categorization, Secure sharing, Easy search and organization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-notes-pdf-and-planner/id6806174631)

Capture ideas, take notes, annotate PDFs, and plan your day in a single digital space. Organize personal journaling, study notes, tasks, and schedules with customizable digital tools that mimic a paper notebook.

**Highlights:** Handwriting, typing, drawing, and highlighting, PDF annotation and import, Customizable templates, Integrated calendar and reminders, Notebooks with hyperlinks, iOS 27 technology integration (Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts), Home screen widgets

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SaveThings free?

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

### Is Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SaveThings or Journal?

SaveThings is rated higher. SaveThings averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Journal averages 4.8 from 18 ratings.

### Do SaveThings or Journal have ads?

Journal shows ads; SaveThings does not.

### Which is updated more often, SaveThings or Journal?

SaveThings ships an update every 72 months, and Journal every 2 days. Most recently, SaveThings was updated on November 3, 2026 and Journal on November 10, 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.*