Comparison

Quicknotes Journal vs Peal

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

Head to head
About

Quicknotes Journal

Read full description

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

Peal

This app intelligently times your alarms based on your calendar events, offering proactive reminders for travel, meetings, and personal occasions. It allows for voice-activated setup and location-based alerts, ensuring you never miss an important event.

Highlights
  • Intelligent alarm timing based on calendar events
  • Location-based arrival/departure alerts
  • Voice-activated alarm setup
  • Customizable repeat schedules
  • Overrides Silent/Do Not Disturb modes
  • Private by design, no account or tracking
Features
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Peal does the timing. You do the day. Most alarm apps buzz before every event the same way. Peal reads your calendar and times each alarm to the kind of event it is, then leaves the choice to you. HOW PEAL TIMES EACH ALARM • A flight gets you moving earlier, earlier still if it's international • An in-person meeting gets a leave-by alarm timed to the drive, traffic included; a video call gets a shorter heads-up, since you aren't going anywhere • A birthday becomes a friendly morning reminder, not a midnight buzz • It won't pile on: set a leave-by and the redundant "starting now" buzz is dropped YOU'RE ALWAYS IN CHARGE You choose what Peal does: turn on the kinds of reminders you want once, then change or turn off any single event. Nothing happens until you choose it. SET ONE IN SECONDS, OR BY VOICE Dictate an alarm and Peal works out the time and the repeat on your phone: "every third Thursday, team lunch." It also handles repeats the built-in Clock can't: every other week, the last day of the month, yearly. ALARMS TIED TO A PLACE Ring when you arrive somewhere or leave it: grab the dry cleaning on the way home, send a text when you land. The place is watched on your phone, never on a server. RINGS LIKE THE SYSTEM CLOCK Built on Apple's own alarm system, so alarms sound through Silent, Do Not Disturb, and Focus, with a full-screen alert and Apple Watch support. HELPFUL WHEN YOUR MEMORY NEEDS THE HELP The alarms that matter most are the ones you forget to set. Peal offers them from the day you actually have. That helps anyone, and it's a real hand for some people with ADHD or time-blindness. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No ads. No tracking. Peal has no servers; your alarms, your calendar, and your locations stay on your iPhone. Every feature is free. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://forwardcompatible.org/peal-privacy.html

Screenshots

Quicknotes Journal4 screens
Peal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Peal at every 2 days against Quicknotes Journal's every 3 weeks. Quicknotes Journal's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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 and Peal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Quicknotes Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, Peal every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Quicknotes Journal versus Peal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQuicknotes JournalPeal
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRyan BairBenjamin Archer

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Quicknotes Journal

One-time1
  • Premium$3.99
4 purchases

Peal

Subscriptions1
  • Supporter$4.991 Year
One-time3
  • Green tea$2.99
  • Latte$4.99
  • Lunch$9.99

Questions

Is Quicknotes Journal free?
Quicknotes Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Peal free?
Peal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Quicknotes Journal or Peal have ads?
Neither Quicknotes Journal nor Peal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Quicknotes Journal or Peal?
Quicknotes Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Peal every 2 days. Most recently, Quicknotes Journal was updated on October 8, 2026 and Peal on October 28, 2026.

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