Comparison

turtle vs ThoughtTrace

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

Head to head
About

turtle

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Turtle is a productivity app that makes organizing your ideas and goals effortless with the Mandal-Art method. Break down big goals into smaller, manageable steps and enjoy the process of achieving them one by one! * Mandal-Art Tool: Intuitive and easy to use, perfect for anyone. * Goal Management: Organize everything from big-picture ideas to detailed plans. * Progress Visualization: Stay motivated by visually tracking your progress. With Turtle, you can take it slow but steady and confidently move closer to your goals.

About

ThoughtTrace

Features
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"Think analog, save digital." ThoughtTrace is a seamless tool to digitally save and organize the deep thoughts you've written down with pen and paper. Some ideas are only born when you freely move a pen across a blank sheet of paper, rather than typing on a keyboard. ThoughtTrace maximizes this "handwritten thought process" and securely manages your notes afterward. โ—† 3 Core Features of ThoughtTrace โ—† 1. "Intelligent Timer" for Deep Thinking Place your iPhone or iPad on the corner of your desk and set the focus timer. Setting a time limit flips the switch in your brain to "just write." 2. "High-Quality Continuous Scan" for Handwritten Notes Once you finish writing, simply point the app's camera. It automatically detects document edges, removes hand shadows and wrinkles, and instantly converts your notes into crisp, highly legible black-and-white data. You can also continuously scan multiple pages without closing the camera. 3. Reflect and Organize (Folders, Tags, PDF Export) Beautifully organize your scanned notes using folders and tags. Look back on the trajectory of your thoughts through a chronological timeline. You can also combine multiple notes and export them as a single PDF (*Pro feature). โ—† Privacy First โ—† All your ideas and notes are saved strictly on your device. They are never sent to external servers, allowing you to write down your thoughts with complete peace of mind. *The free version has a daily limit on the number of scans. Upgrade to the Pro version with a one-time purchase to unlock "Unlimited Saves," "No Ads," and the "PDF Export" feature. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

turtle4 screens
ThoughtTrace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: turtle at none against ThoughtTrace's 1. turtle also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. ThoughtTrace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. turtle asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

turtle ships an update every 5 days, ThoughtTrace every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 2 level
turtle versus ThoughtTrace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterturtleThoughtTrace
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days โ€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size64 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHOSEONG HWANGJUNICHI WATANABE

In-app purchases

None

turtle

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ThoughtTrace

One-time1
  • Pro Plan (Lifetime)$4.99

Questions

Is turtle free?
turtle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ThoughtTrace free?
ThoughtTrace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do turtle or ThoughtTrace have ads?
ThoughtTrace shows ads; turtle does not.
Which is updated more often, turtle or ThoughtTrace?
turtle ships an update every 5 days, and ThoughtTrace every 3 weeks. Most recently, turtle was updated on October 25, 2026 and ThoughtTrace on October 31, 2026.

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