# J vs Digital Notebook

The clearest difference is review sentiment: J at 100% against Digital Notebook's 10%. J also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Digital Notebook's advantage is ratings volume (249 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Digital Notebook sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. J asks for nothing beyond the download.

J holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Digital Notebook has 249 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of J's written reviews are positive against 10% of Digital Notebook's.

J ships an update every 3 weeks, Digital Notebook every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | J | Digital Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-lock-screen-notes/id1634043414/reviews)** | [4.5 (249 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-notebook-note-taking/id6449457503/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **249** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 133 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Robert Libsansky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634043416) | [Appsprings, TOO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689193977) |

## What reviewers say

### J

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-lock-screen-notes/id1634043414)

Capture and secure your thoughts with a note-taking app that keeps your information private and accessible. Write or draw notes, set reminders, and even place them on your Home Screen widgets. Your data remains offline and protected by Face ID or Touch ID.

**Highlights:** Write or draw notes, Set reminders and notifications, Lock notes with Face ID/Touch ID, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, Offline functionality, Color-coding and tagging, Location-based notes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Digital Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-notebook-note-taking/id6449457503)

This app offers a versatile platform for handwriting notes, journaling, and creative planning. It includes tools for students, daily organization, and digital bullet journaling, enhanced by an AI assistant for brainstorming and inspiration.

**Highlights:** Handwriting notes with pen, pencil, ruler, eraser, Bullet journaling and daily planning templates, Personal AI assistant for brainstorming, Drawing board and sketch tools, Import and annotate PDF documents, Organize notes and files

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 week subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Note taking & PDF markup tools | $2.99 | per month |
| Note taking & PDF markup tools | $4.99 | per month |
| 1 Week Subscription | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| 3 months subscription | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| 1 Month Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| 12 Months Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| 3 Months | $41.49 | per 3 months |
| 12 Months Subscription | $66.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is J free?

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

### Is Digital Notebook free?

Digital Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, J or Digital Notebook?

J is rated higher. J averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Digital Notebook averages 4.5 from 249 ratings.

### Do J or Digital Notebook have ads?

Digital Notebook shows ads; J does not.

### Which is updated more often, J or Digital Notebook?

J ships an update every 3 weeks, and Digital Notebook every 5 weeks. Most recently, J was updated on November 13, 2026 and Digital Notebook on November 12, 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.*