# Quick Notes vs Opal

The clearest difference is monetization model: Opal at free against Quick Notes's free with in-app purchases. Opal also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 77%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Quick Notes's advantage is ratings volume (306 vs 37) and device support (5 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Quick Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Opal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Opal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Quick Notes has 306 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Quick Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Opal's.

Quick Notes ships an update every 4 days, Opal every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Quick Notes | Opal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (306 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-notes-capture/id6458535284/reviews) | **[5.0 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opal-guided-journal-and-diary/id6745115075/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **306** | 37 |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 196 MB | 359 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Furkan Simsir](https://appshunter.io/developer/1191021297) | [Darby Tarlow](https://appshunter.io/developer/1810836939) |

## What reviewers say

### Quick Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-notes-capture/id6458535284)

This app helps you quickly capture thoughts, lists, and reminders as they come to you. Easily organize and export your ideas to over 20 other applications, or use Siri Shortcuts for custom workflows. Sync your notes across devices with iCloud and set intuitive reminders.

**Highlights:** Quick note-taking, Export to 20+ apps, iCloud Sync, Intuitive reminders, Automatic date & URL recognition, Widgets, Siri & Shortcuts integration

**Features:** Safari Extension, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick and easy capture
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 💡 Great for organizing information
- ✨ Satisfying categorization
- 💰 Lifetime license option

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Defective, data loss
- 🐛 Sidebar sorting buggy
- 🐛 Crashes a lot
- 🐛 Mac app non-functional
- 🐛 MacOS app crashing

**Reported bugs**

- Data loss/notes vanishing
- Sidebar sorting is buggy and breaks
- Mac app does not work
- App crashes frequently
- Stickie notes do not work on MacOS 14 Sonoma

**Requested features**

- Batch operations (export/merge)
- More keyboard shortcuts for macOS
- Tags and coloring
- An "all items" view with grouping and sorting
- Calendar or timeline view


### Opal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opal-guided-journal-and-diary/id6745115075)

This private journaling app uses AI to help you understand your thoughts and emotions. It offers guided prompts, ambient soundscapes, and the ability to write, speak, or add photos to your entries. AI tools analyze your writing to reveal patterns and insights, all while prioritizing your privacy with on-device storage.

**Highlights:** AI-powered pattern analysis, Guided journaling journeys, Voice and image entry support, Multiple journal organization, On-device privacy controls, Prompt-based or blank page entries

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $7.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Quick Notes free?

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

### Is Opal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Quick Notes or Opal?

Opal is rated higher. Quick Notes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 306 ratings, while Opal averages 5.0 from 37 ratings.

### Do Quick Notes or Opal have ads?

Neither Quick Notes nor Opal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Quick Notes or Opal?

Quick Notes ships an update every 4 days, and Opal every 8 days. Most recently, Quick Notes was updated on October 24, 2026 and Opal 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.*