# Notebook vs Calendar Monkey

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | Calendar Monkey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-diary-and-journal-app/id654645301/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calendar-monkey/id6738310914/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 72.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 25 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.2** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Koji Ito](https://appshunter.io/developer/334329056) | [Symbiotic Solutions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780136266) |

## 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


### Calendar Monkey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calendar-monkey/id6738310914)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*