# J vs Digital Notebook

The clearest difference is review sentiment: J at 100% against Digital Notebook's 10%. J also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 11). Digital Notebook's advantage is ratings volume (248 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16 vs 18.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Digital Notebook sells 11 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 248 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 fortnightly, Digital Notebook every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | J | Digital Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-notepad-lock-draw/id1634043414/reviews)** | [4.5 (248 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-notebook-note-taking/id6449457503/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **248** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| 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-notepad-lock-draw/id1634043414)

This app helps you organize thoughts, sketch ideas, and manage tasks with a beautiful, intuitive interface. It offers rich text editing, smart organization, and flexible views for a personalized experience. Keep your data private with local storage and no cloud sync.

**Highlights:** Text and drawing notes, Rich text editing, Smart organization (pinning, color-coding), Trash and recovery system, Flexible display views, Calendar and map integration, Reminders and instant search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro 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 note-taking, drawing, and document annotation. It includes an AI assistant for brainstorming and research, along with tools for creating class notes, diaries, and sketches. Users can also import and organize their documents for easy access.

**Highlights:** AI-assistant for brainstorming and research, Freeform note-taking with pen and pencil tools, Drawing and sketching capabilities with stickers, Document import, annotation, and organization, Diary and abstract creation

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| 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 |
| 3 Months Subscription | $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 248 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 fortnightly, and Digital Notebook every 6 weeks. Most recently, J was updated on September 18, 2026 and Digital Notebook on September 23, 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.*