# Noteshelf vs TalkJournal

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Noteshelf at 7.2K against TalkJournal's 15. Noteshelf also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 33%) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). TalkJournal's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Noteshelf sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and TalkJournal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Noteshelf against 4.5 for TalkJournal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Noteshelf has 7.2K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Noteshelf's written reviews are positive against 33% of TalkJournal's.

Noteshelf ships an update every 3 days, TalkJournal every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Noteshelf | TalkJournal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (7.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteshelf-ai-notes-and-pdf/id6458735203/reviews)** | [4.5 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talkjournal-voice-diary/id6758567103/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.2K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **57.5% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#207** | — |
| Size | 557 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fluid Touch Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318004740) | [Rays Health Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829292925) |

## What reviewers say

### Noteshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteshelf-ai-notes-and-pdf/id6458735203)

**Currently charting:** #207 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture, organize, and enhance your notes with natural handwriting, AI summarization, and PDF annotation. Ideal for students and professionals, it offers a seamless writing experience with extensive customization and secure cloud syncing.

**Highlights:** Natural handwriting with lifelike pens, AI summarization and explanation, PDF and document annotation, Audio recording alongside notes, 200+ digital planner templates, Handwriting to text conversion, Secure cloud sync and backup

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf3 Weekly Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium for Noteshelf 2 users | $9.99 | one-time |
| Noteshelf 3 Premium - Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth handwriting experience
- 📚 Versatile note-taking features
- 🎨 Customizable templates and covers
- 🔍 Accurate handwriting recognition
- 💻 Seamless integration across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔄 Sync issues between devices
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data security
- 🔍 Unreliable search functionality
- 🔧 Buggy or missing features from previous versions

**Reported bugs**

- Notebooks failing to open or sync correctly
- Handwriting recognition not working as expected
- Imported PDFs losing formatting or functionality
- Unexpected loss of data or notes
- Compatibility issues with older devices or operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add ability to create folders within notebooks
- Improve page organization and navigation
- Implement a more intuitive color picker and pen customization
- Introduce a history/undo feature for linked pages
- Add support for custom stickers and templates


### TalkJournal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talkjournal-voice-diary/id6758567103)

Effortlessly capture your thoughts with a voice-first diary. Speak naturally and get instant, searchable text transcriptions. Enjoy a private, offline experience with a clean interface, perfect for daily reflection and busy individuals.

**Highlights:** Voice-to-text transcription, Offline voice recognition, Full-text search, Calendar view, Export journal entries, Dark mode support, Face ID/Touch ID lock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TalkJournal | $1.99 | per month |
| TalkJournal | $11.99 | per year |
| TalkJournal | $11.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Noteshelf free?

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

### Is TalkJournal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Noteshelf or TalkJournal?

Noteshelf is rated higher. Noteshelf averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.2K ratings, while TalkJournal averages 4.5 from 15 ratings.

### Do Noteshelf or TalkJournal have ads?

Neither Noteshelf nor TalkJournal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Noteshelf or TalkJournal?

Noteshelf ships an update every 3 days, and TalkJournal every 10 days. Most recently, Noteshelf was updated on November 3, 2026 and TalkJournal on October 25, 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.*