Notebook vs Cute Journal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Notebook
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.
- 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
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Keep daily notes and diary entries together on one page. Turn pages like a book and revisit your past entries. Search, iCloud sync, and a passcode lock help you organize and access your notes. Core features are free; ad removal is a one-time purchase. ■ Your day on one page See the notes and diary entries you write each day together on one page. Swipe or tap to turn pages and look back on everyday moments and memories. ■ Find past entries Use the contents list or search to find a note you want to revisit. Change a note's date to record plans or past events. ■ Make reading and writing comfortable Adjust the text size or use Dark Mode. Copy, print, or share your notes. ■ Protect access with a passcode Lock access to your diary with a passcode. Face ID / Touch ID is available on supported devices. ■ Sync between devices with iCloud With iCloud sync enabled, notes synchronize automatically between devices using the same Apple Account. iCloud sync is enabled by default for new installations. iCloud Drive and Notebook's iCloud access must be enabled, with available storage and a network connection. Synchronization may take time. iCloud sync and device backups are separate features. Check your sync status and backups before changing devices. ■ Recover deleted notes Recover notes within 30 days of deletion from Recently Deleted in Settings. ■ Remove ads with a one-time purchase Core features are free. Premium removes ads with a one-time purchase, not a subscription. After changing devices, use Restore Purchases with the Apple Account used for your purchase. Over 2 million downloads worldwide. Rated 4.7 out of 5 from over 21,000 ratings across all countries and regions (October 2026). Capture your everyday moments, one page at a time.
Cute Journal
Create a personalized digital journal with customizable backgrounds and materials. Secure your entries with a lock and enjoy ample space for all your thoughts. Offers various national and minimalist styles.
- Customizable backgrounds and materials
- Book-like cover customization
- Variety of national and minimalist styles
- Large writing capacity
- Secure and private entries
- Lock feature for privacy
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Cute journal is a lovely national style diary application. If you also like to keep a rich diary, don't miss it. [App Features] * Simple production, choose favorite background, choose favorite material, you can write a unique hand ledger of your own; * Book-like cover, you can customize your own pocket book cover, like opening a book every time; * Various styles of material, national style, lovely, minimalist, there is always your favorite material; * Large capacity, can write a lot of books oh; * Safe and private, you can set them to yourself and keep them in a safe place. This subscription will be automatically renewed through your iTunes account, with the renewal fee deducted from your plan within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel automatic renewal at the Account Settings office at least 24 hours before the current subscription period ends. If your trial does not end, the remaining days will automatically expire after you start your subscription. To open a subscription, you agree to the following terms: The terms of service: https://zhenwusw.github.io/posts/junzhen/fuwu Privacy policy: https://zhenwusw.github.io/posts/junzhen/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Notebook at 14K against Cute Journal's 133. Notebook also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Cute Journal's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 72%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cute Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 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 — 4.7 for Notebook against 4.6 for Cute Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 14K ratings behind it against 133, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 88% of Cute Journal's.
Notebook ships an update weekly, Cute Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Notebook | Cute Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (14K ratings) — better | 4.6 (133 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.5% of reviews | 88.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 14K — better | 133 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Koji Ito | 俊镇 吴 |
Customer experience
Notebook
Cute Journal
Bugs and requests
Notebook
Reported bugs
3 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
Cute Journal
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Notebook
- Remove Ads$6.99
Cute Journal
- Plus Version3 Days trial$4.491 Month
- Quarterly Plus3 Days trial$9.493 Months
- Half a year Plus3 Days trial$12.496 Months









