JustNotes vs Compose
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
JustNotes
Create handwritten notes and annotate PDFs on your iPad with Apple Pencil. Organize your thoughts with folders and export them as PDFs or images. Enjoy a full-featured, offline notebook experience without ads or tracking.
- Handwritten notes with Apple Pencil
- PDF import and annotation
- Folder organization
- Export as PDF or PNG
- Offline functionality with autosave
- Pinch-to-zoom and pan
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JustNotes is a free, offline notebook for iPad. Other apps require payments, or have limitations, but not this one. Write with Apple Pencil, import and annotate PDFs, organize notes in folders and subfolders, and export exactly what you need—no ads, no tracking. All the features of other apps, but without the money or ads. Why you’ll like it: • Beautiful handwriting with Apple Pencil • Pinch-to-zoom & one-finger pan while drawing • Per-page orientation: portrait or landscape • Paper styles: plain, lined, or grid • Import PDFs (auto-saved in Imported Files) • Organize with folders & subfolders; drag to reorder pages • Export as PDF or images (PNG) • Works offline with continuous autosave
Compose
This app helps you reduce screen time and increase focus by blocking distracting apps until you write in your private journal. It offers a simple interface, AI organization, and secure storage for your thoughts and memories.
- App blocking
- Private journaling
- AI organization
- Smart search
- Customizable themes
- Scheduled blocking
- Journal prompts
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Every day, a war is being fought for your attention. Billions of dollars go into algorithms designed to capture your time, attention, and energy. Leaving you stressed, unfulfilled, and stuck in a loop you can't seem to break. You wake up, and the first thing you do is scroll. You get ready for bed, and the last thing you do is scroll. Life passes by, one more scroll at a time. Your phone should feel like a tool, not a reflex. When you open an app that pulls you into the void, Compose makes you write a short journal entry first. Then the choice is yours: stay focused, take a short break, or carry on. The gate is intentionally easy to cross. That's the point. A hard block can stop one scroll. Compose gives you something to build instead: a journal of what was happening each time you reached for your phone. Every entry becomes part of your story, one that grows more useful over time. Compose automatically organizes the people, places, emotions, activities, and topics in your writing. It reconnects related moments, asks thoughtful follow-up questions, and brings recurring themes and changes into view. This adds up to lasting change. A few sentences a day can ease stress, build self-awareness, help you notice the small moments, and be more present. With Compose, you can: • Block selected apps, websites, and categories • Create focus profiles and schedules • Write with curated, custom, and follow-up prompts • Find entries even when you can't remember the exact words • Revisit connected moments • Discover long-term themes, patterns, and insights • Receive quotes and affirmations shaped by your journal • Export or delete your entries whenever you like App blocking and journaling are always free. Compose isn't about giving up your phone. It's about using it on purpose and keeping more of your attention for the life around you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Compose at weekly against JustNotes's every 6 weeks. On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for JustNotes against 5.0 for Compose. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
JustNotes ships an update every 6 weeks, Compose weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | JustNotes | Compose |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Neel Roy | Samir Thapa |
Customer experience
JustNotes
Compose
In-app purchases
JustNotes
No in-app purchases
Compose
No in-app purchases









