# Paper vs Journal.ai

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Journal.ai at 100% against Paper's 10%. Journal.ai also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Paper's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Journal.ai asks for nothing beyond the download.

Journal.ai holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of Paper's written reviews are positive against 100% of Journal.ai's.

Paper ships an update every 3 months, Journal.ai every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paper | Journal.ai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper/id474402870/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journalai/id6742854637/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 9.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 14 MB | 0 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Orgajja Co Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/368955015) | [Aryan Palit](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789614072) |

## What reviewers say

### Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper/id474402870)

This versatile application offers a digital canvas for a multitude of uses. Capture thoughts, sketch ideas, or simply doodle with ease. It provides a flexible space for your creative and organizational needs.

**Highlights:** Digital memo taking, Drawing capabilities, Scribbling functionality, Versatile use cases

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paper Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🎨 Good for quick sketching
- 💡 Useful for jotting down ideas

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes frequently
- 🚫 Limited color and brush options
- 💸 Ads not removed even after paid upgrade
- 🔍 Laggy and unresponsive
- 📵 Doesn't work well with screen protectors

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Black blobs appearing on new pages
- Inability to draw curved lines properly

**Requested features**

- More color and brush options
- Ability to save and export drawings
- Landscape mode support
- Improved responsiveness and reduced lag
- Reliable autosave and undo/redo functionality


### Journal.ai

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journalai/id6742854637)

This app uses AI and speech recognition to convert your spoken thoughts into written journal entries. Effortlessly capture daily reflections, ideas, and track personal growth hands-free.

**Highlights:** Speech-to-text transcription, AI-powered journaling, Hands-free recording, Personal growth tracking, Daily reflection capture

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paper free?

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

### Is Journal.ai free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Paper or Journal.ai?

Journal.ai is rated higher. Paper averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Journal.ai averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Paper or Journal.ai have ads?

Journal.ai shows ads; Paper does not.

### Which is updated more often, Paper or Journal.ai?

Paper ships an update every 3 months, and Journal.ai every 3 days. Most recently, Paper was updated on October 22, 2026 and Journal.ai on October 24, 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.*