Comparison

Jottre vs Menu Bar Notes

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

Head to head
About

Jottre

A minimalist handwriting app designed for iPad with Apple Pencil. It allows users to write notes and convert them into various file formats. Seamlessly sync your notes across iPad, iPhone, and Mac.

Highlights
  • Minimalist handwriting interface
  • Apple Pencil support
  • iCloud synchronization
  • Export to PDF, JPG, PNG
  • Dark/light mode support
  • SplitView and Multi-Window support
Read full description

Jottre is a simple canvas for handwritten notes and sketches. Write freely with Apple Pencil on iPad, or use your finger on iPhone. Notes sync automatically across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud. When you're ready to share, export as PDF, JPG, or PNG.

About

Menu Bar Notes

Quickly capture thoughts, edit them across devices, and organize with markdown blocks and tabs. Notes sync privately via iCloud, with a 30-day trash recovery option. No accounts or data collection required.

Highlights
  • Block editor with markdown shortcuts
  • Collapsible toggle blocks
  • Tabbed notes with keyboard navigation
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Menu bar quick capture on Mac
  • 30-day trash recovery
Read full description

Easily reach into your menubar to quickly jot down a thought or reference, edit it on your synced iPhone and iPad app with your private iCloud keeping every device in step. No accounts or signups are needed and no data is collected. I always wanted a simple tool like this and I hope someone else finds it useful. On Mac, it sits in your menu bar. Click the icon or press ⌥⌘N from any app to open your notes, and click the icon again or press Esc to put them away. On iPhone and iPad, it's a clean, touch-first editor that stays out of your way. Markdown Style Blocks Every note is built from blocks: text, headings, collapsible toggles, to-dos with checkboxes, and code. Type shortcuts like "# ", "> ", or "[] " at the start of a line and the block transforms as you write. Toggles nest without limit, so a quick list can grow into a real outline. Browser Style Tabs Notes are tabs. Switch with ⌘1–⌘9, open a new note with ⌘T, close one with ⌘W. Privately Sync over iCloud- No Account Needed iCloud sync keeps iPhone, iPad, and Mac in step automatically. No account to create, no subscription — your notes live in your personal, private iCloud. Forgiving By Design Deleted notes and blocks go to the Trash, where they can be restored for 30 days. FEATURES • Block editor: text, Heading 1 and 2, toggles, to-dos, and code • Markdown-style shortcuts for instant block transforms • Collapsible toggle blocks with unlimited nesting • Duplicate any block along with its children • Menu bar quick capture on Mac, with a global ⌥⌘N (Option-Command-N) hotkey • Tabbed notes with full keyboard navigation on Mac • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • 30-day Trash with restore • No accounts, no tracking, no data collection Menu Notes stores your notes on your device and syncs them through your own private iCloud database. We can't read them, and we wouldn't want to.

Screenshots

Jottre4 screens
Menu Bar Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Menu Bar Notes at 5.0 against Jottre's 4.8. Jottre's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Menu Bar Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Jottre has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jottre ships an update every 3 weeks, Menu Bar Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Jottre versus Menu Bar Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJottreMenu Bar Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperA LoraniOlamide Ojumu

Customer experience

Jottre

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Menu Bar Notes

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Jottre

No in-app purchases

None

Menu Bar Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Jottre free?
Jottre is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Menu Bar Notes free?
Menu Bar Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Jottre or Menu Bar Notes?
Menu Bar Notes is rated higher. Jottre averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Menu Bar Notes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Jottre or Menu Bar Notes have ads?
Neither Jottre nor Menu Bar Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Jottre or Menu Bar Notes?
Jottre ships an update every 3 weeks, and Menu Bar Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Jottre was updated on October 6, 2026 and Menu Bar Notes on October 3, 2026.

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