Comparison

Brain Dump vs JL Notepad

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

Head to head
About

Brain Dump

This minimalist note-taking app lets you capture ideas instantly with a distraction-free interface. It offers AI-powered answers to your notes and can transform them into various formats like summaries, to-do lists, or emails.

Highlights
  • Instant writing on launch
  • AI-powered questions and answers from notes
  • Create summaries, lists, emails, and more from notes
  • Minimalist, distraction-free interface
  • Organize notes with folders
  • Merge notes easily
  • iCloud backup for cross-device access
Read full description

A thought shows up while you're in the middle of something else. By the time you've opened a notes app and picked a folder, it's gone. Brain Dump opens straight to a blank note. Write it down, get back to what you were doing, and sort it out later. Made for ADHD brains and anyone who switches tasks all day. WRITE FIRST, SORT LATER • Opens on a new note, or right where you left off. You choose. • Freewriting space: empty your head across as many notes as you need, then save them all to a folder at once. • No title, no folder, no setup needed before you start typing. CAPTURE FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for a new note, your last note, or Freewriting • Control Center and Action Button controls (iOS 18 and later) • Siri and Shortcuts: "New note", "Resume note" • Share sheet: save text and links from other apps • Menu bar access on Mac GET BACK ON TRACK • Jump back into your last note from a widget, a control, or Siri • Reminders on any note, so it comes back when you need it • Alarms that ring even with a Focus mode on (iOS 26 and later) • Location reminders when you arrive at or leave a place (iPhone and iPad, Premium) • Checklists with tappable checkboxes • Search, pinned notes, tags, and nested folders for when you're ready to organize TURN A MESSY DUMP INTO SOMETHING USEFUL • Create: turn notes into a to-do list, summary, email, meeting report, flashcards, and more • Ask: ask questions about what you've written • Rewrite and fix grammar in Freewriting • Merge several notes into one, in the order you choose The free plan includes 3 AI uses every month. CALM BY DESIGN • Three looks: Standard, Minimal, or Essential with no icons and no color • High-focus and dyslexia-friendly fonts, adjustable text size • Background sounds while you write • Light and dark mode YOUR NOTES, EVERYWHERE • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Optional Brain Dump account: back up your notes and sync them across your devices • Brain Dump on the web at app.getbraindump.com • Share a note or folder by link: anyone can read and edit in their browser, no account needed • Import from Apple Notes and Evernote • Export to plain text, HTML, RTF, Markdown, or Word (Markdown and Word with Premium) WHAT PEOPLE SAY "Finally, a notes app that gets how my brain works." (App Store review) FREE TO START Writing, quick capture, Freewriting, and merging notes are free. Brain Dump Focus unlocks unlimited reminders and alarms, location reminders, more AI, unlimited tags, and more export formats. Or get Lifetime for everything except AI, with a one-time purchase. Brain Dump is a notes app. It isn't a medical device or a treatment. Questions or ideas? Write to braindump.help@gmail.com

About

JL Notepad

Features
Read full description

“JL记事本”是一款专注于简约记录的轻量应用,帮助你随时捕捉灵感与日常想法-让记录回归最纯粹的状态。 你可以通过卡片或备忘录的形式,快速记录文字内容,无论是突发的灵感、待办事项,还是生活中的点滴,都能轻松保存。简洁清晰的界面设计,让每一条记录都一目了然,便于查找与回顾。 应用支持按时间自动分类,帮助你整理每日内容,让记录更有条理。内置搜索功能,可快速定位所需内容,提高记录效率。 在这里,你不需要学习复杂操作,只需打开应用,即可开始记录。轻松输入、即时保存,让想法不再被遗忘。 “JL记事本”希望为你提供一个安静、高效的记录空间,让每一个灵感都被好好保存。

Screenshots

Brain Dump4 screens
JL Notepad3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: JL Notepad at none against Brain Dump's 7. Brain Dump's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads 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

Both are free to download. Brain Dump sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. JL Notepad asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brain Dump ships an update weekly, JL Notepad every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Brain Dump versus JL Notepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrain DumpJL Notepad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (64 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings64 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFrancesco LeoniShanghai JL Technology Co. Ltd.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Brain Dump

Subscriptions5
  • Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Pro: Monthly Clarity$3.991 Month
  • Monthly$10.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Pro: Yearly Serenity$34.991 Year
  • Yearly$99.991 Year
One-time2
  • BrainDump Ask Drops$4.99
  • Lifetime$39.99
None

JL Notepad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brain Dump free?
Brain Dump is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is JL Notepad free?
JL Notepad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Brain Dump or JL Notepad have ads?
Neither Brain Dump nor JL Notepad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brain Dump or JL Notepad?
Brain Dump ships an update weekly, and JL Notepad every 5 months. Most recently, Brain Dump was updated on October 14, 2026 and JL Notepad on October 9, 2026.

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