Inkput vs Ponder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Inkput
This app offers a digital journaling experience with a paper-like feel, featuring guided writing protocols for emotional processing, gratitude, and ideation. Customize your journal's appearance and track your progress with session analytics, all within a private, device-only environment.
- Guided writing protocols (Pennebaker, Gratitude, Ideation, Free Writing)
- Customizable paper styles and cover designs
- Refill system for intentional journaling
- Session analytics (word count, duration, sentiment)
- Privacy-focused with no cloud sync or data collection
- Satisfying page-peeling animations
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Inkput brings the warmth of paper journaling to your iPad, designed for people who believe writing changes you. Not just another notes app. A thoughtful space for reflection, emotional processing, and personal growth—with evidence-based writing methods from psychology research. FOUR GUIDED WRITING PROTOCOLS • Pennebaker Method — Process difficult emotions through expressive writing, backed by decades of research • Daily Gratitude — Cultivate positivity with structured thankfulness practice • Ideation Sessions — Time-boxed brainstorming for creative exploration • Free Writing — Unstructured reflection at your own pace BEAUTIFUL PAPER EXPERIENCE Choose from 5 paper styles (plain, grid, ruled, dotted, watercolor) and 7 cover designs (leather, cloth, kraft, minimal, elegant). Customize colors to make each journal yours. Watch pages peel away with satisfying animations. INTENTIONAL BY DESIGN The refill system limits each journal to 30 sheets—like a real notebook. When you finish, start fresh. This constraint creates meaning, not clutter. SESSION ANALYTICS Track your writing journey with word counts, session duration, and emotional sentiment over time. See patterns emerge across days and weeks. PRIVACY FIRST Your journal stays on your device. No accounts, no analytics, no tracking. iCloud sync is optional, off by default, and stays inside your own private iCloud. Your thoughts belong to you alone. ——— Why Inkput? In a world of endless notifications and algorithmic feeds, Inkput is a quiet space. A place to slow down, think deliberately, and discover what you really want to say. Start writing with purpose today.
Ponder
Capture your thoughts, memories, and tasks in a beautiful, private, and customizable digital notebook. Choose from over 20 block types, including text, photos, voice memos, and sketches, to create rich notes. Your data is encrypted on-device for maximum privacy.
- Block-based editor with 20+ content types
- On-device AES-256 encryption
- Customizable themes and app icon
- iCloud Sync across Apple devices
- Face ID protection
- Multiple notebook support
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Ponder is a note-taking app for those people who want to bring the joy of physical notebooks to their iPhone and iPad. It's beautiful, private, customizable, and built for you. Instead of a blank page, Ponder gives you building blocks such as text, photos, quotes, checklists, voice memos, sketches, and more. WRITE, CAPTURE, RECORD We believe note-taking is an invaluable habit to build, which is why we built Ponder. With Ponder you can write down your thoughts, add a photo from your afternoon walk, a quote that stuck with you throughout the day, a checklist for tomorrow, or a voice memo when words aren't enough. Ponder's 20+ block types let you capture life the way you experience it. BLOCK TYPES • Text — Plain text with bold, italic, and strikethrough formatting • Quote — Beautifully styled pull quotes • Hightlight — Highlighted text that stands out • Header — Section headers to organize longer notes • Photo — Add images from your camera or photo library • Checklist — Checkable to-do items • Numbered List — Auto-numbered lists • Line Break — Visual dividers in five styles • Now Playing — Capture the last song you listened to • Web Link — Rich previews of saved links • Location — Drop a pin with a map snapshot • Linked Note — Connect related notes together • Voice Memo — Record audio right in your note • Drawing — Sketch and doodle freehand • Calendar — Add important events to your note • Ratings — Rate movies, TV shows, and books • Videos — Add a video to your note • Bulleted List — Bulleted lists (what else can we say?) • *NEW* Receipts — Record your purchases • *NEW* Prompts — Get inspired to write • *NEW* Scoreboard — Record past, live, and future games • *NEW* Files — Attach files to your note • *NEW* Image Gallery — Add stylish image galleries • *NEW* Logbook — Log activities throughout your day • .. and more! PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Your notes are encrypted on-device using AES-256 encryption. No account or sign-up required. No servers reading your thoughts. Your data stays on your device, protected by the same encryption standard used by banks and governments. Optionally enable iCloud Sync to keep your encrypted notes available across all your Apple devices. DESIGNED TO BE YOURS Choose from five included accent colors or create your own. Ponder's app icon even changes to match your chosen color. Adjust font sizes, customize your toolbar layout, change note backgrounds, and make the app feel like it was made for you. FEATURES • Block-based editor with drag-and-drop reordering • Support for multiple notebooks • Automatic weather tagging on notes • Mood-selection for every note • Tags for organizing notes • Share Cards feature for sharing notes to social media • Pin important notes to the top • Pull-down filters for quick sorting • Customizable "Start a Note" tiles • iCloud Sync across all your devices • Face ID protection • Dynamic app icon that matches your highlight color • Custom highlight colors • iPad support with split view, keyboard shortcuts, and cursor support • Dark mode • Customizable line break styles • Search across your notes • .. and so much more! Ponder is a focused, thoughtful space for capturing what matters to you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Inkput at weekly against Ponder's fortnightly. Inkput also leads on iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.0). Ponder's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Inkput holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ponder has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Inkput ships an update weekly, Ponder fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Inkput | Ponder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.8 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 62 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chung Yun Lee | Kevin Wild |
Customer experience
Inkput
Ponder
In-app purchases
Inkput
No in-app purchases
Ponder
No in-app purchases









