Fantastical vs Jotter
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Fantastical is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.4. Fantastical wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Jotter on 2.
Busy Apple users juggling work and personal calendars
iPhone and iPad users who want a quick, private notepad with handwriting
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Fantastical | Jotter |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity & Notes | Productivity & Notes |
| Category rank | #6 of 13 | #8 of 13 |
| Developer | Flexibits | The Big Head |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is Fantastical better than Jotter?
Fantastical is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.4. Fantastical wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Jotter on 2.
Which is cheaper, Fantastical or Jotter?
Fantastical: Free basics; Flexibits Premium is $6.99 a month or $56.99 a year on the App Store. Jotter: Free, no subscription or ads; an optional tip unlocks nothing. On value for money, Jotter scores higher.
Do Fantastical and Jotter work on the same devices?
Only Fantastical runs on Mac, Windows.
Which is more private, Fantastical or Jotter?
Jotter scores higher on privacy (9.5/10). No account and no Jotter server: notes sync only through your own iCloud. Handwriting, photo text and voice notes are read on the device. No ads, analytics or tracking; App Store label: Data Not Collected.
Strengths and weaknesses
Fantastical
- Add events by typing a normal sentence
- Polished apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Windows
- Works with Microsoft 365 and Google accounts
- Most power features need the subscription
- No Android phone or tablet app yet
- Microsoft 365 users must switch to Graph sync
Fantastical lets you add an event by typing a normal sentence with the who, what and when, and it fills in the rest. Around that you get the DayTicker, Calendar Sets, tasks from Todoist and Google Tasks, Openings and Proposals for scheduling, weather, and AI that turns forwarded emails and screenshots into events. Most of the best parts need Premium, and Android phones aren't supported yet.
Full Fantastical review
Jotter
- No titles, folders or save buttons to slow you down
- Handwriting and photo text are searchable, read on the device
- Free, no account, synced through your own iCloud
- iPhone and iPad only, with no Mac, Android or web app
- No backlinks, plugins or collaboration
Jotter is built around one idea: open it and start typing. The first line names the note and it saves as you go. Checklists, Apple Pencil handwriting, scans and voice notes live in the same note, and search reads the text inside pictures and handwriting on the device. Notes sync through your own iCloud with no account, and every note exports as Markdown. It lacks the backlinks and plugins of Obsidian, but as a free, private everyday notepad it is quick and pleasant.
Full Jotter review
