# Notebook vs Japan Cloud

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Japan Cloud at none against Notebook's 1. Japan Cloud also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). Notebook's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Japan Cloud asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notebook ships an update weekly, Japan Cloud every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | Japan Cloud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-diary-and-journal-app/id654645301/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 25 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Koji Ito](https://appshunter.io/developer/334329056) | [JAPAN SECURITY SISTEMAS DE SEGURANÇA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1309145380) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-diary-and-journal-app/id654645301)

This app offers a natural journaling experience by organizing daily notes on a single page, allowing you to flip through your entries like a physical book. It prioritizes simplicity, security with passcode locks, and seamless iCloud synchronization for easy access across devices.

**Highlights:** Realistic page-turning effect, One page per day organization, iCloud sync and backup, Passcode lock with Face ID/Touch ID, Dark mode and font adjustment, Ad-free Premium option

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Password protection
- 💡 Convenient for journaling and note-taking
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 👍 Organized by date

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🚫 Unable to insert photos or attachments
- 🚫 Limited formatting options
- 🚫 No cloud sync or backup
- 🚫 Not compatible with iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Deleting entries causes the app to crash
- Long entries can cause the app to become unresponsive
- Password feature doesn't always work as expected

**Requested features**

- Add ability to insert photos and attachments
- Implement cloud sync and backup
- Allow more formatting options (font, size, color, bold, italic, etc.)
- Develop an iPad version with optimized layout
- Add a search function to easily find past entries


### Japan Cloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/japan-cloud/id1438658477)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebook free?

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

### Is Japan Cloud free?

Japan Cloud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Notebook or Japan Cloud have ads?

Notebook shows ads; Japan Cloud does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notebook or Japan Cloud?

Notebook ships an update weekly, and Japan Cloud every 2 months. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 25, 2026 and Japan Cloud on October 12, 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.*