# J vs StarNote

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: J at none against StarNote's 10. J also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 74%). StarNote's advantage is ratings volume (126 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StarNote sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. J asks for nothing beyond the download.

J holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StarNote has 126 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 74% of StarNote's.

J ships an update every 3 weeks, StarNote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | J | StarNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-lock-screen-notes/id1634043414/reviews)** | [4.6 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starnote-handwritten-notes/id6751570915/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **126** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 74.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 2 MB | 422 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Robert Libsansky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634043416) | [Onyx International Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527846836) |

## What reviewers say

### J

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-lock-screen-notes/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, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### StarNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starnote-handwritten-notes/id6751570915)

This app offers a realistic pen-on-paper handwriting experience on tablets with an infinite canvas for notes and sketches. It includes advanced layering, PDF annotation, and a robust organizer for efficient digital note-taking and planning.

**Highlights:** Realistic low-latency handwriting, Infinite canvas for unlimited space, Layered design for complex projects, Deep PDF annotation and markup, Robust file management and search, Lifetime access with one-time purchase, Free templates and digital assets

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StarNote AI Trial | $0.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $3.90 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $4.49 | one-time |
| StarNote Lifetime PRO | $5.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $6.69 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $7.79 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $9.79 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $9.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $12.99 | one-time |
| StarNote AI Pro | $22.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is J free?

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

### Is StarNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, J or StarNote?

J is rated higher. J averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while StarNote averages 4.6 from 126 ratings.

### Do J or StarNote have ads?

Neither J nor StarNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, J or StarNote?

J ships an update every 3 weeks, and StarNote every 2 weeks. Most recently, J was updated on November 12, 2026 and StarNote on November 8, 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.*