Comparison

JotBox vs Notelux

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

Head to head
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.

About

Notelux

Features
Read full description

Notelux is a private, offline notepad for everything you need to remember: quick thoughts, checklists, ideas, journals, meeting notes and shopping lists. No account, no sign-up. Everything is stored on your device. WRITE THE WAY YOU THINK • Title, heading and subheading styles • Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, highlight and text color • Bulleted and numbered lists, and checklists you can tick off • Links, emoji and photos from your camera or gallery, with markup • Left, center or right alignment, and full right-to-left support • Undo when you change your mind STAY ORGANIZED • Folders and tags • Pin what you use most • Search every note by title and text • Sort by date edited, date created or title, in a list or grid • Archive what you want out of the way • Trash keeps what you delete for a while, so you can bring it back KEEP YOUR NOTES SAFE • Back up every note and picture to one file, and restore it on any device • Dark mode, light mode, or match your system • Available in 42 languages NOTELUX PRO One purchase, no subscription. Pro unlocks: • No ads • Face ID lock for single notes or the whole app • Export to PDF and Markdown • Automatic backup to iCloud Drive • Voice notes, sketches, document scans and tables • Sub-folders and note templates • Reminders and home-screen widgets • Note colors, themes and alternate app icons PRIVACY Nothing leaves your device unless you back it up or share it yourself. The free version shows ads from Google AdMob, which may use your device's advertising identifier; you can change this under Ad Privacy Choices in Settings. Notelux Pro removes the ads. Download Notelux and keep every note in one private place.

Screenshots

JotBox4 screens
Notelux4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: JotBox at none against Notelux's shown. Notelux's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. JotBox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Notelux sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

JotBox ships an update every 5 weeks, Notelux every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
JotBox versus Notelux: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJotBoxNotelux
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB205 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel BragilevskyBEK Service LTD

In-app purchases

1 purchases

JotBox

One-time1
  • JotBox Pro$3.99
1 purchases

Notelux

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is JotBox free?
JotBox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notelux free?
Notelux is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do JotBox or Notelux have ads?
Notelux shows ads; JotBox does not.
Which is updated more often, JotBox or Notelux?
JotBox ships an update every 5 weeks, and Notelux every 2 months. Most recently, JotBox was updated on October 11, 2026 and Notelux on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons