JustNotes vs OpenNotes
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
Read full descriptionHide 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
OpenNotes
Create handwritten notes, import and annotate PDFs, and organize your thoughts with folders. This free, open-source app prioritizes privacy by keeping all your data local and on your device.
- Handwritten notes with Apple Pencil
- PDF import and annotation
- Folder-based organization
- Add images and text
- Local-first data storage
- Export and share notes
Read full descriptionHide full description
OpenNotes is a simple, free, open-source notes app built for handwriting, PDFs, and focused organization. Create notebooks, import PDFs, write with Apple Pencil, add images or text, organize notes into folders, and export your work when you need it. OpenNotes is local-first and privacy focused. There are no accounts, no analytics, and no tracking. Your notes live on your device, with optional backup to your own iCloud so they survive a lost iPad or a deleted app. Nothing is ever sent to us — your notes stay in your Apple account, readable by no one else.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: JustNotes at 5.0 against OpenNotes's 4.5. OpenNotes's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (30 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
JustNotes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OpenNotes has 30 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
JustNotes ships an update monthly, OpenNotes every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | JustNotes | OpenNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.5 (30 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 30 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Neel Roy | Mark Miller |
Customer experience
JustNotes
OpenNotes
In-app purchases
JustNotes
No in-app purchases
OpenNotes
No in-app purchases
