Comparison

JustNotes vs Nib

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

Nib

Features
Read full description

■ Where thoughts unfold Nib is a warm handwritten diary for iPad and Apple Pencil. The feeling of writing with a fountain pen on paper — captured in digital form. For anyone who wants to record today, organize class notes, or let ideas flow freely on the page. ■ Features ▸ Natural handwriting - Fountain pen, pencil, highlighter, eraser, lasso — optimized for Apple Pencil - 21 colors to express yourself - Blank, lined, and grid backgrounds ▸ Write directly on PDFs - Import textbooks, handouts, papers and annotate right away - Import from iCloud Drive, Files app, or anywhere - Select page ranges to import only what you need - Your annotations save separately — the original PDF stays intact ▸ Daily journal - End the day with a short note - Five moods (Heavy · Quiet · Even · Bloom · Radiant) to capture the feeling - Browse past days in the calendar ▸ Recording + auto-transcription - Record lectures or meetings while you write - Automatic transcription in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish - Notes and audio live side-by-side on the same page ▸ Organize by subject - Create subjects with 31 icons or draw your own - Tag notes with subjects - Browse by subject in the Shelf ▸ Six languages supported - 한국어 · English · 日本語 · 简体中文 · 繁體中文 · Español - Switch language directly in the app ■ Made for - People who want a handwritten journal on iPad - Students annotating PDF textbooks - Anyone recording lectures while taking notes - Those looking for a beautifully-designed diary app - Digital note-takers who miss the feel of paper ■ What's coming Nib is actively being improved. Dark mode and iCloud sync (across devices) are on the way. Feedback and suggestions welcome at hello@stockhub.kr ■ About the developer Nib is crafted by an independent developer. stockhub.kr

Screenshots

JustNotes4 screens
Nib4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: JustNotes at none against Nib's shown. Nib's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

JustNotes ships an update monthly, Nib every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
JustNotes versus Nib: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJustNotesNib
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.517.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNeel RoyYONGGYU KIM

In-app purchases

None

JustNotes

No in-app purchases

None

Nib

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JustNotes free?
JustNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nib free?
Nib is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do JustNotes or Nib have ads?
Nib shows ads; JustNotes does not.
Which is updated more often, JustNotes or Nib?
JustNotes ships an update monthly, and Nib every 3 days. Most recently, JustNotes was updated on October 24, 2026 and Nib on October 28, 2026.

Other comparisons