# A5 Journal vs Papyr

The clearest difference is update cadence: A5 Journal at weekly against Papyr's every 2 weeks. A5 Journal also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. A5 Journal sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Papyr sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

A5 Journal ships an update weekly, Papyr every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | A5 Journal | Papyr |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papyr-journaling-app/id6793413023/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 95 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [ThinkFULL Holdings Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881115717) | [Brandon Duncan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1858118962) |

## What reviewers say

### A5 Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a5-journal/id6759840404)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A5 Journal Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Members - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Family Plan | $10.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Business Plan Monthly | $25.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| A5 Journal Members - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| A5 Journal Business+ Plan Monthly | $49.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Family Plan Yearly | $109.99 | per year |
| A5 Journal Business Plan Yearly | $259.99 | per year |
| A5 Journal Business+ Plan Yearly | $499.99 | per year |


### Papyr

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papyr-journaling-app/id6793413023)

A private journaling app designed to feel like a real notebook, offering rich text formatting and individual journal locking. It syncs privately via iCloud and allows exporting entries. Enjoy a clutter-free writing experience with no ads or data selling.

**Highlights:** Multiple private journals, Face ID/Touch ID/Passcode lock, Rich text formatting, Cross-journal search, PDF and Word export, iCloud sync across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Papyr Plus | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is A5 Journal free?

A5 Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Papyr free?

Papyr is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do A5 Journal or Papyr have ads?

Neither A5 Journal nor Papyr shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, A5 Journal or Papyr?

A5 Journal ships an update weekly, and Papyr every 2 weeks. Most recently, A5 Journal was updated on October 28, 2026 and Papyr on October 31, 2026.

---

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