# Pantry Manager vs Quicknotes Journal

The clearest difference is price: Quicknotes Journal at Free against Pantry Manager's $3.99. Quicknotes Journal also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Quicknotes Journal is free to download; Pantry Manager costs $3.99 up front. Pantry Manager sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Quicknotes Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pantry Manager | Quicknotes Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.6 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pantry-manager/id512026829/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **83** | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 7 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MJ Lyco LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/512026832) | [Ryan Bair](https://appshunter.io/developer/1830548753) |

## What reviewers say

### Pantry Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pantry-manager/id512026829)

Manage household items, reduce food waste with expiration reminders, and create smart shopping lists. Sync across devices and share with family. Features barcode scanning and Apple Watch support.

**Highlights:** Expiration date reminders, Smart shopping list, Barcode scanning, Cloud syncing, Apple Watch support, Custom categories and locations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sync Photos | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Effective barcode scanning (when working)
- ✅ Comprehensive inventory tracking across multiple locations
- 🔔 Expiration date reminders and alerts
- 💰 Helps save money by preventing duplicate purchases
- 🔄 Syncs across multiple Apple devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability
- 📵 App stops working after updates
- 🔌 Poor barcode scanner reliability
- ❌ Inconsistent data syncing between devices
- 😞 Lack of customer support responsiveness

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently and becomes unstable
- Barcode scanner produces blurry/unreadable images
- Items fail to save or delete properly
- Syncing fails between devices
- App won't open after recent updates

**Requested features**

- Meal planner integration with ingredient allocation
- Manual UPC code entry without full product lookup
- Multiple expiration dates for same product
- Offline functionality without data loss
- Fractional quantity support (e.g., 1/2 kg)


### Quicknotes Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quicknotes-journal/id6755569437)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pantry Manager free?

Pantry Manager costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Quicknotes Journal free?

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

### Do Pantry Manager or Quicknotes Journal have ads?

Neither Pantry Manager nor Quicknotes Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pantry Manager or Quicknotes Journal?

Pantry Manager ships an update every 3 weeks, and Quicknotes Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pantry Manager was updated on October 23, 2026 and Quicknotes Journal on October 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.*