Comparison

Present Past vs noglow

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

Head to head
About

Present Past

Features
Read full description

Present Past is a simple journaling app built around a timeline. It helps you capture small moments as they happen and quietly brings them back later, when they feel new again. Instead of long, structured entries, you can write short notes throughout the day. Thoughts, events, or even something you don’t want to forget. Over time, they form a personal history you can revisit anytime. ### Key Features - Timeline-based journaling Your entries are organized in a clean, chronological timeline, making it easy to browse your past. - Quick capture Open the app and start writing immediately. No friction, no setup. - Hashtags for flexible organization Add tags to your entries and follow threads across time. - Resurface past moments Revisit entries from the past and rediscover thoughts you’ve forgotten. - Text-first experience Designed to keep your focus on thoughts rather than media. - Private and simple Your data stays on your device. No accounts, no distractions.

About

noglow

This app offers a minimalist scratchpad experience for quick note-taking on iPhone and Mac. It features eight distinct color-coded slots that clear after use, with finished notes archived and searchable. Optional cloud sync is available for free.

Highlights
  • Titleless scratchpad
  • Eight color slots
  • Searchable archive
  • Cross-device sync
  • Plain text notes
Read full description

noglow is a titleless scratchpad for iPhone and Mac. No titles to invent, no folders, no tags, no markdown. Just a blank line and eight fixed slots you switch between with a keystroke. When a note is done, peel it off the corner. It drops into a searchable archive that never fills up, and the eight slots stay clear for what you are working on now. - Eight color slots, one keystroke apart - Peel finished notes into a permanent, searchable archive - Works across your devices - Optional cloud sync. Free, no account needed to start. - Plain text only. No formatting to fuss with. Free, and that includes sync.

Screenshots

Present Past4 screens
noglow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Present Past at 15.1 against noglow's 18.0. On price, update cadence, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Present Past ships an update every 4 days, noglow every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Present Past versus noglow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPresent Pastnoglow
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeungEun LeeGRABA

In-app purchases

None

Present Past

No in-app purchases

None

noglow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Present Past free?
Present Past is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is noglow free?
noglow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Present Past or noglow have ads?
Neither Present Past nor noglow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Present Past or noglow?
Present Past ships an update every 4 days, and noglow every 5 days. Most recently, Present Past was updated on October 2, 2026 and noglow on October 4, 2026.

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