# Inkpad Notepad vs Basic Journal

The clearest difference is rating: Inkpad Notepad at 4.6 against Basic Journal's 3.3. Inkpad Notepad also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 40%) and ratings volume (8.6K vs 4). Basic Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Inkpad Notepad sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Basic Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Inkpad Notepad holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Inkpad Notepad has 8.6K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Inkpad Notepad's written reviews are positive against 40% of Basic Journal's.

Inkpad Notepad ships an update every 9 days, Basic Journal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Inkpad Notepad | Basic Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (8.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkpad-notepad-notes-to-do/id992332888/reviews)** | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-journal/id1139438456/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8.6K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 68 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Workpail, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/948783012) | [James Hudson](https://appshunter.io/developer/599997663) |

## What reviewers say

### Inkpad Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkpad-notepad-notes-to-do/id992332888)

Effortlessly capture thoughts, to-do lists, and shopping lists with this intuitive note-taking app. Sync your notes online for access from any device, and easily search, share, or delete them. It's the digital notepad you'll always have with you.

**Highlights:** Create notes and lists, Auto-save functionality, Online syncing and web access, Search notes and lists, Share notes via email/SMS, Delete notes easily

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inkpad Basic Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Inkpad Lite Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Inkpad Standard Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Inkpad Basic Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Inkpad Plus Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| Inkpad Lite Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Inkpad Standard Yearly | $149.99 | per year |
| Inkpad Plus Yearly | $239.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Convenient cross-device sync
- 👍 Reliable note-taking
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Helpful for organizing notes and lists

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional note loss or sync issues
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Paid premium version required for some features
- 🔍 Inconsistent user interface changes
- 🔍 Ads can be intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes disappear after updates
- Cursor positioning issues when editing
- Syncing problems leading to data loss
- App crashes or becomes unresponsive

**Requested features**

- Add ability to password protect notes
- Improve note editing functionality
- Provide more font and formatting options
- Implement a multi-select/delete feature for notes
- Add reminders and alarm functionality


### 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 Inkpad Notepad free?

Inkpad Notepad 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, Inkpad Notepad or Basic Journal?

Inkpad Notepad is rated higher. Inkpad Notepad averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8.6K ratings, while Basic Journal averages 3.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do Inkpad Notepad or Basic Journal have ads?

Both Inkpad Notepad and Basic Journal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Inkpad Notepad or Basic Journal?

Inkpad Notepad ships an update every 9 days, and Basic Journal every 2 weeks. Most recently, Inkpad Notepad 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.*