Comparison

Notebook vs Calendar Monkey

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

Calendar Monkey

Organize your appointments, tasks, and meal plans with this intuitive productivity app. It features customizable lists for groceries and URLs, plus a recipe vault to streamline your daily life.

Highlights
  • Intuitive calendar organization
  • Satisfying to-do list management
  • Customizable grocery lists
  • Quick-access URL saving
  • Drag-and-drop meal planning
  • Recipe storage and integration
Features
Read full description

Tame the chaos of your day with Calendar Monkey—a calendar app that brings humor and efficiency to your routine. Here’s what’s inside this jungle of productivity: Calendar Mastery: Organize your appointments, special events, self-care reminders, and more with a clean, intuitive layout. Manage your life without losing your mind. To-Do List Domination: Create, complete, and cross out tasks like the pro you always meant to be. Checkboxes never felt so satisfying. Grocery Lists for All: Keep separate, customizable grocery lists for every store in town. No more walking aimlessly down the aisles—plan and conquer. Quick-Access URL List: Save those must-visit URLs, from soccer schedules to your secret gift idea stash. Never get caught saying, “Where did I see that again?” Drag & Drop Meal Planning: Effortlessly arrange a week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. Whether it’s ‘Pizza Night’ or homemade feasts, meal planning just went from chore to cheer. Recipe Vault: Store favorite recipes, save URLs, and add dishes directly to your meal plan. Your taste buds will thank you. Calendar app, to-do list, grocery planner, meal planning, recipes, productivity, event scheduling, task manager, appointments, list organizer, URL saver, personal planner.

Screenshots

Notebook4 screens
Calendar Monkey4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Notebook at Free against Calendar Monkey's $4.99. Notebook also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 1). Calendar Monkey's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Notebook is free to download; Calendar Monkey costs $4.99 up front. Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Calendar Monkey asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Calendar Monkey holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 14K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notebook ships an update weekly, Calendar Monkey every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Notebook versus Calendar Monkey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotebookCalendar Monkey
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.7 (14K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings14K — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.016.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKoji ItoSymbiotic Solutions, LLC

Customer experience

Notebook

All ratings14,317 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews276 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral12.3%
Negative15.2%

Calendar Monkey

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Calendar Monkey

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Notebook

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$6.99
None

Calendar Monkey

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Notebook free?
Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Calendar Monkey free?
Calendar Monkey costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Notebook or Calendar Monkey?
Calendar Monkey is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Calendar Monkey averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Notebook or Calendar Monkey have ads?
Notebook shows ads; Calendar Monkey does not.
Which is updated more often, Notebook or Calendar Monkey?
Notebook ships an update weekly, and Calendar Monkey every 9 days. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 25, 2026 and Calendar Monkey on October 2, 2026.

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