# Notebook vs Basic Journal

The clearest difference is rating: Notebook at 4.7 against Basic Journal's 3.3. Notebook also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (24K vs 4). Basic Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebook sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Basic Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notebook holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 24K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 40% of Basic Journal's.

Notebook ships an update every 6 days, Basic Journal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | Basic Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-ai-notes-notepad/id973801089/reviews)** | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-journal/id1139438456/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **64.3% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 220 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zoho Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/388384807) | [James Hudson](https://appshunter.io/developer/599997663) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-ai-notes-notepad/id973801089)

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and tasks with a versatile digital notebook. Create rich notes with text, files, audio, and video. Organize content visually, collaborate in real-time, and access everything across your devices.

**Highlights:** Rich note creation with text, files, audio, and video, Checklist creation for task management, Bookmark collection and offline reading, Kanban-style note organization, Real-time collaboration and sharing, AI-powered journaling suggestions, Cross-device and cloud synchronization

**Features:** Safari Extension, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notebook Pro | $2.49 | per month |
| Notebook Pro Plus | $3.99 | per month |
| Notebook AI | $4.99 | per month |
| Notebook Personal | $14.99 | per year |
| Notebook Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Notebook Pro Plus | $39.99 | per year |
| Notebook AI | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly organized and customizable
- 👍 Visually appealing and intuitive
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 🤳 Seamless cross-device sync
- 📝 Versatile note-taking features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional sync and stability issues
- 🔀 Inconsistent note order after editing
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 📤 Lack of export/backup options
- 🔗 Difficulty inserting links in notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting corrupted
- Freezing and crashing issues
- Inconsistent behavior when editing notes
- Syncing problems across devices

**Requested features**

- Improved sorting and reordering options for notes
- Enhanced search capabilities
- Ability to export notes in various formats
- More customization options for notebook covers
- Integration with other productivity apps


### Basic Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-journal/id1139438456)

A fast and simple journal app designed for busy individuals to quickly jot down notes on daily activities. It offers an elegant, chronological display of entries with easy editing and export options.

**Highlights:** Quick note-taking, Chronological note display, Summary and detail views, Edit and delete notes easily, Recently edited notes highlighted, iCloud syncing, Text export option

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebook free?

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

### Is Basic Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notebook or Basic Journal?

Notebook is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Basic Journal averages 3.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do Notebook or Basic Journal have ads?

Basic Journal shows ads; Notebook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notebook or Basic Journal?

Notebook ships an update every 6 days, and Basic Journal every 2 weeks. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 18, 2026 and Basic Journal on October 7, 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.*