# Basil vs JotBox

The clearest difference is device support: JotBox at 3 against Basil's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Basil sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and JotBox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basil | JotBox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jotbox-scratchpad/id6764747697/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 58 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [WOLKK PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882923249) | [Daniel Bragilevsky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895902180) |

## What reviewers say

### Basil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basil-pomodoro-and-study-timer/id6761877514)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basil Full Version | $3.99 | one-time |


### JotBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jotbox-scratchpad/id6764747697)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| JotBox Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basil free?

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

### Is JotBox free?

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

### Do Basil or JotBox have ads?

Neither Basil nor JotBox shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Basil or JotBox?

Basil ships an update every 5 weeks, and JotBox every 5 weeks. Most recently, Basil was updated on September 13, 2026 and JotBox on September 8, 2026.

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