# Nextcloud Notes vs BookStax

The clearest difference is rating: BookStax at 5.0 against Nextcloud Notes's 2.2. BookStax also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). Nextcloud Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (93 vs 1). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BookStax sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Nextcloud Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

BookStax holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nextcloud Notes has 93 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Nextcloud Notes ships an update every 2 months, BookStax every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nextcloud Notes | BookStax |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.2 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextcloud-notes/id813973264/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookstax/id6761068485/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **93** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 27.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nextcloud GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1296825573) | [Sven Uwe Hanold](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887623795) |

## What reviewers say

### Nextcloud Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextcloud-notes/id813973264)

This app allows you to create, edit, and organize notes on your mobile device. It syncs seamlessly with a Nextcloud server, ensuring your notes are accessible across all your devices and the web interface. Supports plain text and markdown formatting for versatile note-taking.

**Highlights:** Syncs with Nextcloud server, Create and delete notes, Organize notes in categories, Plain text editing, Markdown formatting, Export notes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Successfully syncs with Nextcloud instances
- ⚡ Improving performance and reliability over time
- 📝 Simple, lightweight note-taking interface
- 🔒 Privacy-focused with self-hosted option
- 📱 Cross-platform availability (iOS, Android)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent data loss and note deletion issues
- 🔌 Unreliable synchronization with server
- 🔐 Login and authentication failures
- ⚠️ Poor handling of connection interruptions
- 📉 App crashes and force-closes required

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly appear empty and lose content
- Empty files being saved to server
- Login resets to default server address
- 404 errors when getting settings
- Sync fails with large note collections

**Requested features**

- Text formatting options (bold, underline, italics)
- File and image attachment support
- Note categorization and organization
- Pin important notes to top
- Ability to rename notes easily


### BookStax

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookstax/id6761068485)

Access and manage your self-hosted BookStack knowledge base natively on iPhone. Edit pages with a Markdown editor, search your content, and access it offline. Prioritizes privacy with secure API token storage.

**Highlights:** BookStack hierarchy navigation, Full-text search with filters, Markdown editor with live preview, Offline read access, Secure API token connection, Light/Dark/System mode, Multi-language support

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Page | $2.99 | one-time |
| Book | $5.99 | one-time |
| Encyclopaedia | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nextcloud Notes free?

Nextcloud Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BookStax free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nextcloud Notes or BookStax?

BookStax is rated higher. Nextcloud Notes averages 2.2 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while BookStax averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Nextcloud Notes or BookStax have ads?

Neither Nextcloud Notes nor BookStax shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nextcloud Notes or BookStax?

Nextcloud Notes ships an update every 2 months, and BookStax every 9 days. Most recently, Nextcloud Notes was updated on October 9, 2026 and BookStax on October 13, 2026.

---

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