Notebook vs Just Write
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.
Just Write
A minimalist text editor designed to streamline the writing process. It supports both RTF and TXT formats, offering rich text editing and Markdown support. Sync your work across devices with iCloud integration.
- RTF and TXT file support
- Markdown styling
- iCloud file syncing
- Rich text editing tools
- Multiple themes
- Smart selection tool (iPad)
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Just Write text editor aims to simplify writing process. The app is carefully designed so that the only things that are absolutely essential to the writing process are included. Just Write supports RTF (rich text format) and TXT (plain text format) that are cross-platform formats you can open and edit in virtually any platforms. + RTF , a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) format, is best suitable for creating your next big story. + While TXT, supported Markdown styles, is best for notes, outline, to-do list and anything else you do with a plaintext format. Just Write has iCloud support (opt-in) so you can sync your rtf and txt files across all your devices. RTF editing features include: - Font size increase and decrease - Text color selection - Text style editing such as Bold, Italic, Underline and Strikethrough - Text alignments: Left, Right, Center, Justified - Undo, Redo - Move arrow to jump the cursor - Selection tool to select paragraph, sentence and word super fast and easy (iPad only). Using smart selection tool, you can select paragraph, sentence and word in just 1 tap!!!!!! TXT editing features include: - Accessory row includes many characters essential to writing Markdown. - Multiple fonts to choose from - Preview Markdown (in left menu) - Three themes (Light, Dark, Sepia) - Support plain text format extensions: txt, text, md, mmd, markdown, markdn, mdown, mkdn, markd, fountain - Selection tool to select paragraph, sentence and word super fast and easy (iPad only). Using smart selection tool, you can select paragraph, sentence and word in just 1 tap!!!!!! * Note: Just Write is supported by ads, but you can buy an in app purchase to remove the ads.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Notebook at 4.7 against Just Write's 4.3. Notebook also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 1.8K). Just Write's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 Just Write sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Notebook holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 14K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 67% of Just Write's.
Notebook ships an update weekly, Just Write every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Notebook | Just Write |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (14K ratings) — better | 4.3 (1.8K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.5% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14K — better | 1.8K |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 11 days |
| 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 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Koji Ito | Tung Vu |
Customer experience
Notebook
Just Write
User reviews
Notebook
From 14K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Password protection
- 💡 Convenient for journaling and note-taking
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 👍 Organized by date
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🚫 Unable to insert photos or attachments
- 🚫 Limited formatting options
- 🚫 No cloud sync or backup
- 🚫 Not compatible with iPad
Just Write
From 1.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💻 Simple and straightforward interface
- 📁 Organized folder system
- ✨ Clean and minimalist design
- 🆓 Free to use with no ads
- ⚡️ Offline writing capability
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing files
- 🔧 Limited formatting and customization options
- 🖥️ Lack of syncing/cross-device support
- 🖋️ No spell check or grammar assistance
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
Just Write
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent crashes and data loss
- Inability to reopen saved documents
- Unreliable auto-save functionality
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
7 requests- Add dark mode option
- Implement more font and formatting choices
- Introduce paragraph spacing and indentation controls
- Integrate spell check and grammar tools
- Enable file syncing across devices
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- Add image/multimedia support
- Provide better file management and organization
In-app purchases
Notebook
- Remove Ads$6.99
Just Write
- No Ads$6.99









