Morpholio Journal vs Lode
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Morpholio Journal
This app is a digital sketchbook for creatives to write, sketch, and design anywhere. It offers a robust set of drawing tools, organizational features, and the ability to import and share ideas, making it ideal for capturing inspiration on the go.
- Sketch on paper, images, or notes
- Variety of pens and brushes
- Organize notes, events, and lists
- Create and name multiple journals
- Import from photos and camera
- Share creations effortlessly
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Awarded “Best App”, Journal is any designers’ dream software. Called “The Future of Sketching” by ArchDaily and “Magic” by Design Milk, Journal combines your dream set of tools with the ability to sketch, write or design anywhere. Welcome to the future of sketchbooks. WRITE, SKETCH, COLLECT Never lose an idea again. Whether you sketch daily or occasionally, inspiration strikes us all at the most unexpected moments. Journal allows you to effortlessly record, organize, sketch and brainstorm ideas along with photos, images or text to capture and develop your most important thoughts. With a powerful array of high quality drawing and writing tools including pens, pencils and paint, Morpholio Journal is ideal for designers, architects, photographers, artists, travelers, or members of any creative culture. Its unique book interface affords instant and easy navigation of thousands of pages unlocking infinite potential. Finally, you can keep track of everything you encounter, and find new ways to visualize, test, and explore the world around you. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH JOURNAL: DRAW: Sketch, doodle or scribble pictures ORGANIZE: Notes, events, and lists DESIGN: Explore, create and brainstorm ideas CAPTURE: Travel inspiration and moments anywhere WRITE: Record thoughts, and annotate images JOURNAL FEATURES: SKETCH: Draw on paper, images or notes PENS: From precision to markers BRUSHES: Powerful tools for artists BOOKS: Create and name multiple Journals PRIVACY: Log in and out to protect work FLIP: Quick visual browsing COLOR: Custom pen palettes for multiple uses NOTES: Colorful paper markers INIFNITY: Create thousands of pages PAPER: Various templates and types TEXT: Label or write in different fonts SIMPLE: User friendly, clean interface IMPORT: From photos, camera and more PROFILE: Create a personal profile SHARE: Effortlessly send or post PEOPLE USING JOURNAL: Architects, Interior Designers, Fashion Designers, Photographers, Event Planners, Graphic Designers, Landscape Architects, Artists, Industrial designers, Tattoo Artists, Web Designers, Professors, Students, Advertising Professionals, Web Designers, Developers & Real-Estate Professionals, Retailers, Teachers, Students, Kids and many more. Morpholio JournalPro subscription plans are available in the following options: •JournalPro monthly for $0.99 •JournalPro annually for $3.99 Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Subscriptions are automatically renewed unless cancelled at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. You will not be able to cancel a subscription during the active period. Manage your subscriptions in your Account Settings after purchase. Privacy policy: http://www.morpholioapps.com/privacy/ Terms of use: http://www.morpholioapps.com/terms/ We would be thrilled to have Morpholio Journal become a part of your creative process. We hope you enjoy Journal and if there are any specific ways it could be improved for your use, please send us your feedback.
Lode
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Type a note, record a voice memo, scan a document — and every one becomes a plain, open file you own: Markdown, .m4a audio, or PDF, synced through your own iCloud. No account, no lock-in, no tracking. CAPTURE ANYWHERE • Write Markdown notes, organized with familiar folders and #tags. • Record voice memos and turn them into text on-device (offline, private). Timed recordings stop by themselves; weekly reminders can start a recording with one tap. • Scan Text (OCR) or Scan Documents straight into a note as a PDF — right from the notes list. • Add photos, videos, sketches, and any file as attachments; pick several photos at once. • Picture folders: keep a folder of photos or screenshots, then recognize the text in every picture at once — one Markdown note per picture, on device. • Share into Lode from Safari, Mail, Files, and more. PLAY, LOOP & FOCUS • Play your own audio and music — recordings, lectures, language lessons, podcasts — with background playback and Lock Screen / Control Center controls. • Drop MP3s into the Lode/mp3 folder in iCloud Drive and they show up ready to play; no import step. • A-B repeat: loop just one section of a track, perfect for language practice or learning a passage. • Sleep timer: stop playback after a set time, or when the current track ends. • Build playlists, shuffle, and repeat. Great for looping a listening set. YOUR FILES, YOUR RULES • Notes are real .md files; recordings are real .m4a; scans are real PDFs. • Export any note to a self-contained HTML, PDF, or TextBundle, or share the raw Markdown. • Stored in iCloud Drive, so they sync across your devices and survive a reinstall. • Delete safely: notes go to a recoverable Trash, deleted recordings can be restored, and every save keeps a version history you can revert to. BUILT FOR iPHONE AND iPAD • On iPad: a desktop-class three-column layout (folders -> notes -> editor), keyboard shortcuts, multi-window, and drag & drop to and from other apps. • A live Markdown preview, document outline, and side-by-side diff for comparing files. • Viewer opens any text file in your Lode iCloud folder, even huge logs and subtitle files. WORKS THE WAY YOU THINK • Tags and wiki-style [[links]] connect your notes. • An Inbox collects everything you share into Lode; tap to open text, subtitles, Markdown and images right there. • Open formats mean your notes and audio are ready for any AI tool or editor you like — today and ten years from now. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account, no login, no ads, no tracking. • Speech-to-text runs fully on-device. Your data never leaves your device unless you sync it through your own iCloud. Lode keeps your raw material in your hands, in formats that outlast any single app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lode at none against Morpholio Journal's 10. On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. Morpholio Journal sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Lode asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Morpholio Journal | Lode |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (764 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 48.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 764 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vectorworks, Inc. | RUEI YI WU |
Bugs and requests
Morpholio Journal
Reported bugs
3 issues- Deleted sketches and content loss
- Unreliable palm rejection
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to edit and rearrange text
- Sync journals across devices
- Export/print full journal
- More customization options
Lode
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Morpholio Journal
- Journal Pro Subscription$0.991 Month
- Journal Pro Subscription$3.991 Year
- Body Art$0.99
- Architecture$0.99
- Landscape$0.99
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- Comic Art$0.99
- Illustration$0.99
- Coloring$0.99
- All Brushes$2.99
- All Papers$2.99
Lode
No in-app purchases









