# Noteshelf vs Simple Journaling

The clearest difference is update cadence: Noteshelf at weekly against Simple Journaling's every 2 months. Noteshelf also leads on ratings volume (7K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). Simple Journaling's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Noteshelf sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Simple Journaling sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple Journaling holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Noteshelf has 7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Noteshelf ships an update weekly, Simple Journaling every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Noteshelf | Simple Journaling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteshelf-ai-notes-and-pdf/id6458735203/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-journaling/id6760980806/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 464 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fluid Touch Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318004740) | [Jayden Dirksen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886739587) |

## What reviewers say

### Noteshelf

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

Create handwritten notes, annotate PDFs, and record audio with this app. It offers extensive customization for notebooks, a variety of writing tools, and AI-powered features for summarization and translation. Organize your thoughts and documents seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Handwritten note creation, PDF annotation and markup, Audio recording with notes, AI-powered summarization and translation, Customizable notebooks and templates, Handwriting to text conversion, Document scanning and import

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf3 Weekly Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium | $19.99 | 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 |
| Noteshelf Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium | $99.99 | 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


### Simple Journaling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-journaling/id6760980806)

This app offers a clean, distraction-free space for daily reflection and gratitude tracking. It helps users understand themselves better by visualizing emotional patterns and providing insights into writing habits. Features include mood tracking, search, and weekly goals.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free journaling, Daily gratitude tracking, Mood tracking and trend visualization, Journal search with mood filters, Weekly goals and streak tracking, Insights and analytics dashboard, AI-powered reflection prompts (Premium)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Noteshelf free?

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

### Is Simple Journaling free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Noteshelf or Simple Journaling?

Simple Journaling is rated higher. Noteshelf averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while Simple Journaling averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Noteshelf or Simple Journaling have ads?

Neither Noteshelf nor Simple Journaling shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Noteshelf or Simple Journaling?

Noteshelf ships an update weekly, and Simple Journaling every 2 months. Most recently, Noteshelf was updated on October 17, 2026 and Simple Journaling on October 7, 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.*