Comparison

PinnedNote vs JotBox

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

Head to head
About

PinnedNote

Features
Read full description

PinnedNote is the fastest way to capture a thought and easily put it where you’ll actually see it. Whether it’s a reminder, a shopping list, an idea, or a task you don’t want to forget, PinnedNote lets you write it down in seconds and pin it directly to your Lock Screen as a Live Activity. No folders. No clutter. No complex organization system. Just your notes, exactly when and where you need it. Minimal design inspired by Japanese simplicity. Designed for people who think fast, get distracted easily, and want important information always within reach. Features: • Create notes instantly from your Lock Screen
 • Pin notes as Live Activities and keep them visible throughout the day
 • Schedule notes to appear at a specific time
 • Quick copy button for sharing information anywhere
 • Left swipe to delete • Right swipe to pin
 • Support for plain text and bullet lists
 • iCloud Sync across your devices
 • Light and Dark Mode Perfect for:
 • Daily reminders • Quotes and ideas
 • Study notes
 • Meeting notes

 • Shopping lists • Anything you don’t want to forget Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

JotBox

A fast, local-first scratchpad for quick notes, drafts, and lists. Offers rich text formatting, image attachments, and powerful search. Notes are private by default, with optional iCloud sync and backups.

Highlights
  • Rich text formatting
  • Image and camera capture
  • Full-text search and filters
  • Note locking and read-only mode
  • Export to multiple formats
  • Optional iCloud sync and backup
Features
Read full description

JotBox is a fast, local-first scratchpad for the notes that don't need a whole filing cabinet. Open the app and start writing. JotBox keeps a blank page ready, stores notes in a simple timeline, and adds just enough structure when you need it. Use JotBox to: - capture quick notes, measurements, reminders, drafts, and lists - format text with bold, italic, underline, colors, highlights, links, bullets, numbered lists, checkboxes, and indentation - add images from your photo library or pasteboard, with camera capture on iPhone and iPad - save text and links from the Share Sheet where supported - pin, reorder, and find notes with full-text search, snippets, filters, and highlights - lock individual notes locally with a JotBox privacy password and optional biometric unlock where available - mark reference notes read-only so they stay viewable without accidental edits - recover deleted notes from the Recycle Bin - export notes as text, Markdown, PDF, or a restorable backup file - optionally sync through your private iCloud account - optionally create iCloud Drive backup snapshots No account is required. Notes stay on your device unless you turn on Apple's private iCloud sync or iCloud Drive backup. JotBox includes a 7-day app-managed trial. After the trial, JotBox Pro is a one-time $3.99 unlock for editing, creating and managing notes, and rich attachments. Existing notes remain viewable, copyable, shareable, and exportable.

Screenshots

PinnedNote4 screens
JotBox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PinnedNote at every 2 days against JotBox's every 5 weeks. JotBox's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. PinnedNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and JotBox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PinnedNote ships an update every 2 days, JotBox every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
PinnedNote versus JotBox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPinnedNoteJotBox
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid PluskalDaniel Bragilevsky

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PinnedNote

Subscriptions1
  • PinnedNote Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • PinnedNote Pro$4.99
1 purchases

JotBox

One-time1
  • JotBox Pro$3.99

Questions

Is PinnedNote free?
PinnedNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is JotBox free?
JotBox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PinnedNote or JotBox have ads?
Neither PinnedNote nor JotBox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PinnedNote or JotBox?
PinnedNote ships an update every 2 days, and JotBox every 5 weeks. Most recently, PinnedNote was updated on October 10, 2026 and JotBox on October 11, 2026.

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