Comparison

Journal Mate vs ZenTube

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

Head to head
About

Journal Mate

Organize your physical and digital documents, from handwritten notes and scattered papers to screenshots and PDFs. This app acts as a scanner, library, and manager, making it easy to store, search, and share your important information.

Highlights
  • Scan papers on the go
  • Save screenshots and PDFs
  • Recognize and interact with text
  • Import from Photos and Files apps
  • Share notebooks or pages
  • Automatic iCloud sync
  • Instant search by name
Read full description

Saved something important - but can’t remember where? Journal Mate keeps handwritten notes, receipts, scans, photos, screenshots, GIFs, videos, Live Photos, PDFs, saved locations, and web links together and organized - instead of scattered across Photos, chats, browsers, albums, and folders. CAPTURE IT WHILE IT MATTERS • Scan paper pages or capture several photos with the built-in camera, then review or retake them before saving • Import photos, screenshots, GIFs, videos, Live Photos, and PDFs • Scan QR codes, save websites as bookmark pages, play saved YouTube links inline, and save locations shared from Apple Maps or Google Maps as map bookmarks • Create blank pages for drawing and annotation KEEP THE CONTEXT • Keep related pages together in Stacks and group new imports automatically without changing their journal order • Search journals by title and notes, then manage content with filters, multi-select, and Spotlight • Reorder pages, move or copy them between journals, merge or duplicate journals, mark journals as favorites, pin important ones, and archive older ones • Edit photos, GIFs, Live Photos, and videos: crop, rotate, adjust, filter, pixelate or blur details, draw, and add text, emoji, or stickers - while preserving animation and motion USE IT WHEN YOU NEED IT • Share media files, create configurable PDFs from selected pages or complete journals, and export a restorable backup • Preview PDFs and adjust paper size, layout, margins, scaling, and pages per sheet • Save content to Journal Mate from other apps with the Share Extension • Sync your library through iCloud across your Apple devices • Work comfortably on iPad with a multi-column layout and easy navigation between your library, journals, and pages YOUR DATA, WITHOUT TRACKING Your library is stored on your devices and syncs through your iCloud account. Journal Mate does not use third-party ad SDKs or cross-app tracking. Journal Mate includes improvements to VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, contrast, and navigation, refreshed themes, and support for 85 languages. Your first 50 active pages are free. Pro removes the page limit and unlocks every color theme. Save it now. Find it later. Terms of Use: https://journalmate.app/en/legal/terms/

About

ZenTube

This app helps you regain control of your digital media consumption by eliminating distractions like recommended videos and endless scrolling. It focuses on providing a decluttered experience so you can reclaim your time for more meaningful activities.

Highlights
  • No recommended videos or algorithm
  • Filter shorts and videos
  • Organized channels
  • Privacy-focused, no account needed
  • Note-taking per video
Features
Read full description

Tired of the endless feed? ZenTube is a distraction-free video client that shows only the channels YOU choose - no recommendations, no algorithm, no doomscrolling. You open the app to watch one video from a channel you follow. An hour later, you're lost in a feed you never asked for. ZenTube breaks that loop by removing the traps: • NO recommended videos or algorithmic feed • Hide Shorts and long videos separately • Grayscale thumbnails to keep clicks low • No account, no tracking - privacy first WHAT YOU GET • All your channels in one clean, organised home feed • Watch Later, playlists, and resume playback • Notes per video - turn watching into learning • iCloud sync across iPhone and iPad • Explore & search with Shorts filtering • Available in 9 languages WHAT PEOPLE SAY "I never write reviews, but this app is perfectly built for how I think people should interact with online content." "I can filter educational and business channels without the thumbnail and save my time." WHO IT'S FOR • Anyone doing a digital detox or cutting screen time • Learners who follow educational and news channels • People who want video without the rabbit hole HOW IT WORKS 1. Add the channels you love. 2. Watch only what's on your list. 3. Get your time back for what really matters. ZenTube is free to start. ZenTube Pro (optional) unlocks the full experience - the plan names say it all: Zen As You Go, Zen For A Year, or Zen Forever. Make your feed yours again. Download ZenTube and improve your digital well-being today. Privacy Policy: https://intenca.com/zentube/#privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Journal Mate4 screens
ZenTube4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Journal Mate at 5.0 against ZenTube's 4.4. ZenTube's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 50%) and ratings volume (18 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Journal Mate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and ZenTube sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Journal Mate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZenTube has 18 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Journal Mate's written reviews are positive against 86% of ZenTube's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Journal Mate versus ZenTube: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJournal MateZenTube
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.4 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews85.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings118 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size189 MB9 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperVitalii BahmetTsz Hong Cheung

Customer experience

Journal Mate

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

ZenTube

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Journal Mate

Subscriptions2
  • Journal Mate Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Journal Mate Pro Yearly$24.991 Year
3 purchases

ZenTube

Subscriptions2
  • Zen As You Go1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Zen For A Year$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Zen Forever$80.00

Questions

Is Journal Mate free?
Journal Mate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ZenTube free?
ZenTube is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Journal Mate or ZenTube?
Journal Mate is rated higher. Journal Mate averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ZenTube averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.
Do Journal Mate or ZenTube have ads?
Neither Journal Mate nor ZenTube shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Journal Mate or ZenTube?
Journal Mate ships an update every 2 weeks, and ZenTube every 2 weeks. Most recently, Journal Mate was updated on November 3, 2026 and ZenTube on October 30, 2026.

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