# Journal for iPad vs PaperThoughts

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Journal for iPad at none against PaperThoughts's 3. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PaperThoughts sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Journal for iPad asks for nothing beyond the download.

Journal for iPad ships an update every 2 weeks, PaperThoughts every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journal for iPad | PaperThoughts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Size | 36 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexei Ilin](https://appshunter.io/developer/799686570) | [Cody Nicoll](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441045060) |

## What reviewers say

### Journal for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-for-ipad/id6743798696)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### PaperThoughts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperthoughts-journal/id6789969540)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journal for iPad free?

Journal for iPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PaperThoughts free?

PaperThoughts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Journal for iPad or PaperThoughts have ads?

Neither Journal for iPad nor PaperThoughts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Journal for iPad or PaperThoughts?

Journal for iPad ships an update every 2 weeks, and PaperThoughts every 8 days. Most recently, Journal for iPad was updated on October 25, 2026 and PaperThoughts on October 25, 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.*