Comparison

Member Tools vs Maker Journal

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

Head to head
About

Member Tools

This app helps members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints connect with their local congregations. It offers a directory, event calendars, meetinghouse and temple locators, and tools for leaders to manage membership information and reports. Members can also manage their contact details and access temple resources.

Highlights
  • Ward and stake member directory
  • Event calendar access
  • Meetinghouse and temple locator
  • Membership reports for leaders
  • Record management for bishops
  • Temple ordinance schedules
  • Custom member groups
Features
Read full description

The Member Tools app provides members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the ability to contact ward and stake members, access event calendars, and locate Church meetinghouses and temples. Leaders can also access additional membership information and reports. Directory. View contact information and photos of members in your ward and stake, including members you’re assigned to minister to and those assigned to you, and update your contact information. Messages. View messages with important updates or actions needed. Organizations. View ward and stake callings by organization. Reports. Ward and stake leaders can view and update membership reports for members of their ward and stake, including recording attendance and ministering interviews. Manage records. Bishops, branch presidents, and clerks can move records and record ordinances. Calendar. View event calendars for your ward and stake. Groups. Create custom groups of members in your ward and stake. Temples. View your assigned temple, temples nearest your current location, ordinance schedules, submit names to the prayer roll, and set up a temple recommend expiration reminder. Meetinghouses. Find meetinghouse locations and addresses, sacrament meeting times, and contact information for bishops. Missionary. Access contact information for the full-time missionaries assigned to and serving from your ward or stake, and refer a friend to the missionaries. Finance. Organization presidencies can submit payment requests. Update. Turn on automatic updates and manually update your data. Settings. Select a light or dark theme for the app, set photo downloading preferences, and allow former mission leaders to view your contact information.

About

Maker Journal

Features
Read full description

Maker Journal is the ultimate companion for makers, crafters, hobbyists, and DIY enthusiasts who want to document their creative projects from start to finish. Whether you are building, crafting, woodworking, 3D printing, or creating something entirely unique, Maker Journal helps you capture every moment, track expenses, and learn from every project. COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT DOCUMENTATION Create detailed project profiles with cover photos and descriptions. Organize projects with custom techniques and tags. Track project status from planning to completion. Export beautiful PDF portfolios to share your work. VISUAL TIMELINE Document your progress with photos and updates. Mark entries as Progress, Milestones, Problems, or Solutions. View your timeline in list or grid mode. Add detailed notes to every entry. See your project evolve over time. SMART MATERIALS TRACKING Build a complete bill of materials for every project. Automatically search and extract prices from online sources. Track quantities, unit costs, and total expenses. Mark items as purchased or pending. Add part numbers and purchase URLs. See your total project cost at a glance. TIME TRACKING Use the built-in timer to track work sessions in real time. Manually add time entries for past work. Categorize time by different tasks and activities. View total hours invested in each project. Understand where your time goes. LESSONS LEARNED Document insights, tips, and discoveries. Categorize as Tips, Warnings, or Insights. Build your personal knowledge base. Learn from past projects and improve future ones. ATTACHMENTS AND DOCUMENTS Store PDFs, images, and reference materials. Keep instruction manuals with your projects. Add notes to each attachment. Quick Look preview for all file types. TECHNIQUES AND ORGANIZATION Create custom technique tags with colors and icons. Use presets like Woodworking, 3D Printing, Laser Cutting. Filter projects by technique. See statistics by category. STATISTICS AND INSIGHTS Track total projects completed. View time and money invested across all projects. See your most-used techniques. Understand your making patterns. PDF EXPORT Generate beautiful PDF reports of your projects. Include timeline photos, materials list, and lessons learned. Perfect for portfolios, documentation, or sharing. Professional layout ready to print or email. DESIGNED FOR MAKERS Intuitive interface designed specifically for creative projects. Works great on iPhone and iPad with optimized layouts. Dark mode support for late-night making sessions. All your data stays private on your device. No subscriptions, no accounts required. Whether you are a weekend hobbyist or a full-time maker, Maker Journal helps you remember what worked and what did not, stay on budget with expense tracking, build a portfolio of your creations, learn and improve with every project, and share your work with others. Perfect for woodworkers and carpenters, 3D printing enthusiasts, laser cutting and engraving, electronics and Arduino projects, crafting and DIY home improvement, metalworking and welding, sewing and textile arts, and any creative making endeavor. Start documenting your making journey today!

Screenshots

Member Tools4 screens
Maker Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Member Tools at Free against Maker Journal's $1.99. Maker Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Member Tools is free to download; Maker Journal costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Member Tools ships an update monthly, Maker Journal every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Member Tools versus Maker Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMember ToolsMaker Journal
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.9 (100K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews59.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings100K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB10 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsJames Armstrong

Bugs and requests

Member Tools

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when accessing directory
  • Sync failures and data not updating
  • Blank screens and login issues
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to update member information
  • Integration with other church apps
  • Improved calendar functionality
  • Expanded directory access beyond ward/stake

Maker Journal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Member Tools

No in-app purchases

None

Maker Journal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Member Tools free?
Member Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Maker Journal free?
Maker Journal costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Member Tools or Maker Journal have ads?
Neither Member Tools nor Maker Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Member Tools or Maker Journal?
Member Tools ships an update monthly, and Maker Journal every 3 days. Most recently, Member Tools was updated on October 16, 2026 and Maker Journal on October 8, 2026.

Other comparisons