# JustPad vs LightYou

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | JustPad | LightYou |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/justpad-brain-dump-notes/id6751774054/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightyou/id6761893930/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [东景 梁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1573102134) | [涛 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519937559) |

## What reviewers say

### JustPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/justpad-brain-dump-notes/id6751774054)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### LightYou

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightyou/id6761893930)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LightYou Support Tip | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*