A5 Journal vs Scrollmate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
A5 Journal
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A5 Journal Your Records. Your Proof. Your Story. A5 Journal was created to make digital journaling feel real again. Instead of another cold white screen filled with text boxes, A5 gives you your own warm, personal library. Create and bind your own books, organize them on your shelves, fill their pages with memories, photographs, documents, forms and records, and build a collection that actually feels connected to your life.β¨ But A5 Journal is about more than how journaling feels.β¨ A5 doesn't rewrite your past. Once a journal entry is recorded, it becomes part of your history. Timestamped and set in place. No going back days later and changing what happened, what was said, or how you felt. For your personal life, that can mean accountability. Documenting the promises you make to yourself, seeing how far you've come, capturing moments exactly as they happened, and creating an honest record of your own story.β¨ For your work life, it can be invaluable. Record conversations, events, site conditions, decisions and important details while they're fresh. Attach photographs and supporting files. Complete forms and reports. Build a chronological record you can refer back to when remembering exactly what happened and when matters.β¨ A5 Journal grows with your needs, with plans designed for everyone from individuals and families to businesses and larger teams.β¨ And your library doesn't have to exist in isolation. Share books and forms with other A5 members, collaborate where it makes sense, and keep building your records while maintaining the permanence that makes A5 different.β¨ A5 Journal is growing and so is its community.β¨ Come rediscover what it feels like to love journaling. Build your library. Bind your books. Document the ordinary days, the milestones, the hard lessons, the conversations, the evidence and the memories worth keeping. Because your history shouldn't quietly change with an edit button.β¨ Document your life as it happens.β¨Keep the moments that matter.β¨Build your story with us. A5 Journalβ¨Your Records. Your Proof. Your Story.β¨ You can create individual notebooks for: β’ Personal records β’ Business documentation β’ Incident tracking β’ Agreements and communications β’ Project logs β’ Daily journaling β’ Ongoing documentation Core Features β’ Separate notebooks for clear, structured organization β’ Time-stamped & immutable entries for reliable records β’ Secure account authentication β’ Clean, distraction-free writing interface β’ Simple and intuitive user experience β’ Cloud-backed storage β’ Fast, easy search across all entries β’ Prioritize important notes and entries β’ Optional reminders to stay on track β’ Export your entries anytime β’ Invite family & teams on available plans β’ Share or gift your journals β’ Multiple libraries for exceptional organization β’ Can be used anywhere anytime with offline functions Important Notice! A5 Journal is a documentation and organizational tool. It is not a legal service and does not guarantee legal admissibility. Users are responsible for how they use their records. A 7-day free trial is available for individuals. After the trial period, an active subscription is required to access app features. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Scrollmate
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Parental controls that need a parent's approval, not a tap. ScrollMate is a parental control app for families with teens. A parent or legal guardian sets up limits on their child's phone, and when the child hits a limit, the app gets blocked. If the child wants more time, they send a request. The parent decides. Free 3-Day Trial β’ Then Subscription Required Built for one relationship and one relationship only: a parent or legal guardian and the child whose device they manage. There is no social network here, no feed of strangers, and no way to be found by anyone you did not hand a code to. HOW IT WORKS 1. Set up ScrollMate on the child's phone and pick the apps to limit 2. Set the daily limits 3. A parent or guardian installs ScrollMate on their own phone and connects with an invite code 4. When the child hits a limit, ScrollMate blocks the app 5. The child can send a request for extra time, with a photo and a reason 6. The parent approves or denies it from their own phone WHY SCROLLMATE WORKS Most screen time apps leave the final decision to the child. That sounds fine until they are bored, tired, or already twenty minutes deep into a feed. A four-digit passcode gets watched over a shoulder and shared within a week. ScrollMate adds one step that cannot be tapped past: a parent has to say yes. Nothing unlocks until they do. FEATURES Parent Approval Extra time only happens when a parent or guardian approves it from their own device. App Blocking Set limits for distracting apps on the child's phone and make them harder to reopen. No Easy Snooze ScrollMate creates real friction, not another button to dismiss. Request With Context The child explains why they need more time before the parent decides. Daily Overview Parents see how the day is going on the phone they manage. Invite Codes Only Accounts connect by sharing a code in person. No username search, no contact uploads, no strangers. USE SCROLLMATE FOR Managing a teen's social media use Blocking distracting apps on a child's phone Keeping homework time free of interruptions Cutting back on doomscrolling Building healthier phone habits as a family Giving a parent a real say in screen time instead of relying on a passcode PRIVACY ScrollMate uses Apple's Screen Time tools so a parent or guardian can manage app access on their child's device, which is exactly what those tools are built for. Screen time details stay protected by Apple's system and are only ever shared with the parent or guardian connected to that device. Accounts connect by invite code, so nobody can find a child's account by searching. We do not upload contacts and we do not sell data. GET STARTED Install ScrollMate on the child's phone. Set the limits. Connect a parent or guardian with an invite code. From then on, extra time is a decision, not a tap. Privacy Policy: https://smallstack.dk/scrollmate/privacy By subscribing to Scrollmate, you agree to Apple's standard Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: A5 Journal at none against Scrollmate's shown. A5 Journal also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. A5 Journal sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Scrollmate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
A5 Journal ships an update weekly, Scrollmate every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | A5 Journal | Scrollmate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Weekly β better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No β better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 β better | 18.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 91 MB | 112 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ThinkFULL Holdings Inc. | smallstack ApS |
In-app purchases
A5 Journal
- A5 Journal Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- A5 Journal Members - Monthly7 Days trial4 variants$2.991 Month
- A5 Journal Family Plan$10.991 Month
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- A5 Journal Business Plan Monthly$25.991 Month
- A5 Journal Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- A5 Journal Members - Yearly7 Days trial4 variants$29.991 Year
- A5 Journal Business+ Plan Monthly$49.991 Month
- A5 Journal Family Plan Yearly$109.991 Year
- A5 Journal Business Plan Yearly$259.991 Year
- A5 Journal Business+ Plan Yearly$499.991 Year
Scrollmate
- Premium$9.997 Days
- Premium (Yearly)3 Days trial$39.991 Year









