Comparison

Journal for iPad vs Folio

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

Head to head
About

Journal for iPad

Features
Read full description

Keep your personal story safe and beautifully organized. This simple writing app lets you create rich text entries and personalize your experience with colorful themes. Protect your private moments with built-in security. This makes it the perfect place for your daily reflections and pediarsonal notes. Experience the ease of digital journaling with the assurance of complete privacy. Start documenting your life, your way. Use this secure app to track your thoughts and keep a personal log. You might even find it useful for light planning or notion your mood.

About

Folio

Features
Read full description

The journal for an overthinking mind. Folio is for the 11pm brain that won't shut off. Open it, dump what's in your head, and let the page do the rest โ€” a thoughtful prompt is always waiting, so you never face a blank page. WRITE WITHOUT PRESSURE - A prompt every time you open - Warm dark theme, serif type โ€” feels like a real journal - Rich text, photos, checklists โ€” auto-saves as you type - Daily reminder at a time you choose KEEP COMING BACK - Writing streak with gentle weekly forgiveness - Mood tracking + a daily quote on home - Weather, location, and music tag each entry automatically - Word-cloud insights show the themes you return to PRIVATE BY DEFAULT - No account, ever โ€” everything stays on your iPhone - Lock with Face ID โ€” zero ads, zero tracking - Export to PDF or Markdown anytime FOLIO PRO Unlock writing tools, document scanner, voice memos, Apple Pencil sketch, multi-photo entries, and custom templates. Seven-day free trial โ€” monthly, yearly, or lifetime. Most journal apps assume you know what to write. Folio assumes you don't โ€” and that's the point. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://hellosuongtran.github.io/folio-legal/privacy.html

Screenshots

Journal for iPad3 screens
Folio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Journal for iPad at none against Folio's 3. On price, update cadence, ads 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. Folio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Journal for iPad asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Journal for iPad ships an update every 2 weeks, Folio every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Journal for iPad versus Folio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJournal for iPadFolio
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks โ€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size36 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexei IlinAnh Ngoc Le

In-app purchases

None

Journal for iPad

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Folio

Subscriptions2
  • Folio Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Folio Pro Lifetime7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Folio Pro$99.99

Questions

Is Journal for iPad free?
Journal for iPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Journal for iPad or Folio have ads?
Neither Journal for iPad nor Folio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Journal for iPad or Folio?
Journal for iPad ships an update every 2 weeks, and Folio every 3 weeks. Most recently, Journal for iPad was updated on October 25, 2026 and Folio on October 24, 2026.

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