Notion is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.4. Notion wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Jotter on 3.
Teams who want docs, wikis and task boards in one place
iPhone and iPad users who want a quick, private notepad with handwriting
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Notion | Jotter |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity & Notes | Productivity & Notes |
| Category rank | #4 of 10 | #8 of 10 |
| Developer | Notion Labs | The Big Head |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | — |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Strengths and weaknesses
Notion
- Flexible enough to replace several separate apps
- Excellent for shared team docs and wikis
- Huge template gallery to get started fast
- Large pages and databases can feel slow
- No end-to-end encryption for your notes
Notion lets you build almost anything from blocks: notes, wikis, task boards, CRMs and project trackers, all linked by powerful databases. Notion AI can write, search across connected apps and run agents that update pages for you. It is excellent for teams. The catch is speed: large workspaces can feel sluggish, offline support is limited, and nothing is end-to-end encrypted. Best if you like to design your own system.
Full Notion review
Jotter
- No titles, folders or save buttons to slow you down
- Handwriting and voice notes are searchable on the device
- Free, no account, synced through your own iCloud
- Apple devices only, with no Mac 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. It lacks the linking and plugins of Obsidian, but as a free, private everyday notepad it is quick and pleasant.
Full Jotter review
