# a Notepad vs Journal Notebook

The clearest difference is review sentiment: a Notepad at 49% against Journal Notebook's 0%. a Notepad also leads on rating (4.1 vs 2.3) and ratings volume (40 vs 3). Journal Notebook's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

a Notepad holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a Notepad has 40 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of a Notepad's written reviews are positive against 0% of Journal Notebook's.

a Notepad ships an update every 3 months, Journal Notebook daily. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | a Notepad | Journal Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-notepad-take-and-share-notes/id1494609935/reviews)** | [2.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-notebook/id1609311760/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **40** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **48.6% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 61 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jia Qing Song](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494609934) | [Information Arts Bureau LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609311762) |

## What reviewers say

### a Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-notepad-take-and-share-notes/id1494609935)

Capture your thoughts and ideas effortlessly on the go. This app offers both offline and cloud-synced note-taking, allowing you to access your notes from any device. Share your notes as plain text or as a web page with customizable privacy settings.

**Highlights:** Standalone mode (no login), Cloud synchronization, Cross-device access, Note sharing as text or web page, Private, public, and password-protected notes, Guest editing options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Journal Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-notebook/id1609311760)

A straightforward digital notebook for personal use. It allows users to record thoughts, create to-do lists, and keep records with an intuitive interface. Entries can be searched and organized by topic, with cloud storage for added security.

**Highlights:** Simple writing interface, Dictate or scan text entries, Organize by topic, Searchable journal, Cloud storage integration, Permanent data retention

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a Notepad free?

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

### Is Journal Notebook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, a Notepad or Journal Notebook?

a Notepad is rated higher. a Notepad averages 4.1 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Journal Notebook averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do a Notepad or Journal Notebook have ads?

Neither a Notepad nor Journal Notebook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a Notepad or Journal Notebook?

a Notepad ships an update every 3 months, and Journal Notebook daily. Most recently, a Notepad was updated on November 3, 2026 and Journal Notebook on November 3, 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.*