# JustNotes vs OpenNotes

The clearest difference is rating: JustNotes at 5.0 against OpenNotes's 4.4. OpenNotes's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (25 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OpenNotes has 25 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

JustNotes ships an update every 6 weeks, OpenNotes every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | JustNotes | OpenNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/justnotes-notetakingmarkup/id6751740392/reviews)** | [4.4 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opennotes-notes-and-pdf-markup/id6771224004/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **25** |
| Positive reviews | — | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 4 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Neel Roy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1834533455) | [Mark Miller](https://appshunter.io/developer/1836539324) |

## What reviewers say

### JustNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/justnotes-notetakingmarkup/id6751740392)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### OpenNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opennotes-notes-and-pdf-markup/id6771224004)

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.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes with Apple Pencil, PDF import and annotation, Folder-based organization, Add images and text, Local-first data storage, Export and share notes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JustNotes free?

JustNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is OpenNotes free?

OpenNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, JustNotes or OpenNotes?

JustNotes is rated higher. JustNotes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while OpenNotes averages 4.4 from 25 ratings.

### Do JustNotes or OpenNotes have ads?

Neither JustNotes nor OpenNotes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, JustNotes or OpenNotes?

JustNotes ships an update every 6 weeks, and OpenNotes every 5 days. Most recently, JustNotes was updated on October 13, 2026 and OpenNotes on October 7, 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.*