Comparison

JustPad vs LightYou

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

Head to head
About

JustPad

This app provides an endless page for quickly capturing thoughts, ideas, and tasks without the need for organization. Easily convert entries into reminders and share them as images. It prioritizes privacy with no network access and optional iCloud sync.

Highlights
  • Endless single-page note-taking
  • Convert notes to system reminders
  • Light Markdown highlighting
  • Share notes as images
  • Stealth mode for privacy
  • Local-first storage with iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Your brain is not a storage device. JustPad is. JustPad is a brain dump app: one endless page where you empty your head the moment a thought appears. No folders to choose, no titles to invent, no "where should this go?" friction. Open the app and you're already writing. That's the whole point. When your mind is juggling twenty things at once — tasks, worries, ideas, things you must not forget — the fastest way to feel calm again is to get them all out of your head and onto a page. JustPad makes that take two seconds. HOW IT WORKS 1. Open JustPad. Your page is right there — no navigation, ever. 2. Dump everything: tasks, ideas, worries, half-thoughts. Don't organize, just write. 3. Select anything that needs action and turn it into a reminder with one tap. Your mind is clear; nothing is lost. BUILT FOR OVERLOADED MINDS • One Endless Page — Everything lives in a single continuous page. No tabs, no folders, no decisions. Perfect for ADHD-friendly capture, racing thoughts, journaling, brainstorming, or just getting things off your chest. • Dump → Reminder — Select any line and turn it into a system notification. Brain dump first, act later — without copying anything into another app. • Readable Dumps — Light Markdown highlighting formats your headings (#) and lists (-, *) automatically, so even a messy dump stays scannable. No syntax to learn. • Share a Thought as an Image — Select text and instantly capture it as a clean image to share anywhere. • Stealth Mode — Writing something personal on the train? Switch to a tiny-font mode that only you can read up close. • Private by Design — JustPad requests no network access. Your thoughts stay on your device, with optional end-to-end iCloud sync across iPhone and iPad. No account, no tracking, no ads. • iCloud Sync Status — A subtle cloud icon shows you exactly when your page is synced across devices. • Import & Utilities — Import text files (up to 100,000 characters), see your word count, and manage all active reminders in one place. WHO IT'S FOR – ADHD brains and overthinkers who need thoughts out of their head *now* – Anyone doing a nightly brain dump to sleep better – Writers and students capturing ideas before they vanish – People tired of note apps that feel like filing cabinets – Anyone who values privacy and local-first storage JustPad is built natively in Swift and SwiftUI, supports iOS 15+, and is optimized for iPhone and iPad. Stop trying to remember everything. Dump it, clear your mind, move on. Download JustPad and do your first brain dump in the next ten seconds.

About

LightYou

Save, organize, and understand web articles with AI. This app transforms your reading into a searchable knowledge vault, offering a distraction-free reader, annotation tools, and spaced repetition for long-term retention. It prioritizes user privacy with local storage and optional WebDAV sync.

Highlights
  • One-tap article saving
  • Customizable reader view
  • Highlighting and annotation
  • AI-powered chat and summaries
  • Spaced repetition review
  • WebDAV sync for cross-device access
  • Offline reading
Features
Read full description

LightYou — Your Reading Library, Reimagined Save every article worth reading. Highlight what matters. Ask AI anything about your library. LightYou turns the web into your personal, searchable knowledge vault. ▸ SAVE IN ONE TAP Share from Safari, Twitter, or anywhere on iOS. LightYou extracts the article content — no ads, no clutter, just the words. ▸ BEAUTIFUL READER Customize font, size, and theme (light, sepia, dark). Reader view strips out distractions so you can focus on what matters. ▸ HIGHLIGHT & ANNOTATE Select any text to highlight it in three colors. Add private notes. Your highlights become a searchable knowledge base. ▸ AI-POWERED UNDERSTANDING Chat with any article — ask questions, get summaries, translate passages, or explain difficult concepts. Powered by your choice of LLM API. ▸ SPACED REPETITION REVIEW LightYou surfaces articles worth revisiting on a spaced schedule, so the ideas you care about stay with you long-term. ▸ HOME SCREEN WIDGET A beautiful iOS widget keeps your top review items one glance away — with native dark mode support. ▸ WEBDAV SYNC Sync articles, highlights, and notes across all your devices via your own WebDAV server. Your data stays yours — no third-party accounts required. ▸ PRIVACY FIRST All articles stored locally on your device. AI requests use your own API keys. Optional WebDAV sync uses your own server. We never see your data. ▸ OFFLINE READING Saved articles are cached locally — read anytime, anywhere, with no connection. ▸ BEAUTIFUL IN BOTH LANGUAGES Full Chinese and English support, with typography that respects each language. Whether you're a researcher, student, writer, or just a curious reader, LightYou helps you go from "I'll read this later" to actually reading, understanding, and remembering. Start building your library today.

Screenshots

JustPad4 screens
LightYou4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: LightYou at Free against JustPad's $19.99. LightYou also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). JustPad's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On ads, monetization model 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

LightYou is free to download; JustPad costs $19.99 up front. LightYou sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. JustPad asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LightYou holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

JustPad ships an update every 3 months, LightYou every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 3 level
JustPad versus LightYou: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJustPadLightYou
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.617.6
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer东景 梁涛 李

In-app purchases

None

JustPad

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

LightYou

One-time1
  • LightYou Support Tip$1.99

Questions

Is JustPad free?
JustPad costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is LightYou free?
LightYou is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, JustPad or LightYou?
LightYou is rated higher. JustPad averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while LightYou averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do JustPad or LightYou have ads?
Neither JustPad nor LightYou shows ads.
Which is updated more often, JustPad or LightYou?
JustPad ships an update every 3 months, and LightYou every 3 weeks. Most recently, JustPad was updated on September 17, 2026 and LightYou on September 25, 2026.

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