Comparison

Quicknotes Journal vs Attentionly

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

Head to head
About

Quicknotes Journal

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QuickNotes Journal is a simple, private journaling app designed to keep your thoughts organized and completely under your control. All entries are stored locally on your device. There are no accounts, no cloud sync, and no data collection. Your journal stays with you. Key Features • Create and edit journal entries quickly with text, photos, and audio • Organize entries using customizable tags and topics • Search and filter entries by date, text, or tag • View detailed insights into writing habits, streaks, and milestones • Clean, focused layout with simple navigation across entries and stats • Export your journal anytime to TXT, CSV, or JSON • Backup and restore data locally with full ownership of your data • Optional one-time purchase for advanced statistics (no subscriptions) Privacy First by Design QuickNotes Journal works entirely offline. Your data never leaves your device. No logins, no cloud servers, and no third-party analytics. Simple and Focused The interface is built to stay out of the way so you can focus on writing. Whether you log quick notes, track daily habits, or keep an offline work diary, QuickNotes Journal keeps things straightforward and reliable. Built for Long-Term Use Your entries are stored in a fast local database and remain accessible even if you migrate devices using your manual backups. You control your data at every step. QuickNotes Journal is ideal for anyone who wants a fast, private, and dependable journaling experience without unnecessary complexity or recurring fees.

About

Attentionly

This app provides an honest time audit by sending gentle nudges throughout the day to ask what you're doing. It helps you build a clear picture of how you spend your attention without judgment or gamification. Review your patterns over time to gain self-awareness.

Highlights
  • Random daily nudges for quick check-ins
  • Simple categorization of activities
  • Detailed attention pattern review
  • Apple Watch support for wrist responses
  • Private data storage on device
  • No gamification or streaks
Features
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Where did the last two hours go? If you ask yourself that a lot — if whole afternoons vanish and you genuinely can't account for them — you're not broken. You just don't have the data yet. People with ADHD call it time blindness. Everyone with a phone has some version of it. Attentionly is the honest time audit. A few times a day, at random, it taps you on the shoulder and asks one question: "What are you doing right now?" Tap your answer, and move on. Two seconds. No timers to start, no logs to maintain, no categories to obsess over. Over time, you build a real picture of where your attention goes — not where you think it goes, and not where you wish it went. NO SHAME. NO STREAKS. JUST DATA. Most productivity apps assume you need to be fixed. They reward consistency, punish gaps, and pile on guilt when you miss a day. Attentionly doesn't think you need fixing. It's a mirror, not a manager — it shows you the data and trusts you to decide what it means. Missed a nudge? Fine. Missed a week? Also fine. There is no streak to protect and nothing to lose. That matters if your brain already generates enough shame on its own. This app will never add to it. HOW IT WORKS • Get a few gentle nudges a day at random times — like a tap on the shoulder • Tap what you're doing right now: a goal, life stuff, or a distraction you named • Watch the real picture build in Insights: time distribution, time-of-day patterns, and how each goal is actually going • Weekly gut-check per goal: one number, no lecture DESIGNED TO STAY OUT OF YOUR WAY • No streaks, badges, or gamification • No coaching language — we don't tell you what to do • No account, no cloud, no tracking — your data stays on your device • Optional iCloud backup, CSV export whenever you want your data elsewhere COMPLETELY FREE Full functionality, no paywall, no ads, no upsells. Just an honest tool for honest self-awareness. Attentionly is not a medical app and doesn't diagnose or treat anything. It's a mirror for your attention — ADHD-friendly by design because it never shames you and never asks for more than two seconds at a time.

Screenshots

Quicknotes Journal4 screens
Attentionly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Attentionly at none against Quicknotes Journal's 1. Attentionly also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Quicknotes Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads and device support 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. Quicknotes Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Attentionly asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Quicknotes Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, Attentionly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Quicknotes Journal versus Attentionly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQuicknotes JournalAttentionly
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.3 (3 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRyan BairMike Watson

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Quicknotes Journal

One-time1
  • Premium$3.99
None

Attentionly

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Quicknotes Journal free?
Quicknotes Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Attentionly free?
Attentionly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Quicknotes Journal or Attentionly have ads?
Neither Quicknotes Journal nor Attentionly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Quicknotes Journal or Attentionly?
Quicknotes Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Attentionly every 2 days. Most recently, Quicknotes Journal was updated on October 8, 2026 and Attentionly on October 20, 2026.

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