Comparison

Hookmark Pal vs SideNotes Mobile

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hookmark Pal

This app allows you to bookmark and link various types of data from your favorite applications, including web pages, tasks, and documents. It enables bidirectional linking between bookmarks and syncs your data across devices via iCloud. Get more value from your existing apps and data.

Highlights
  • Universal bookmarking across apps
  • Bidirectional linking between bookmarks
  • Syncs data via iCloud
  • Cross-device compatibility
  • Linkable items include tasks, emails, and documents
  • Recent items and pinned bookmarks
Read full description

Hookmark: bookmark and retrieve important data across apps and devices. The first truly universal bidirectional bookmarking app for iPhone and iPad. Hookmark enables you to bookmark and link data from your favorite apps. Not just web pages, tasks (OmniFocus, Things,etc.), Books e-books, emails, DEVONthink items, Document in Drafts, … or anything else. As long as it's linkable (has a URL), Hookmark can bookmark it. And you can "hook" bookmarks together (create and use two-way links between them). With a Premium Service in-app purchase, Hookmark syncs your data to iCloud Drive. This makes them available across your iPad and iPhones. It can also sync bookmarks to & from Hook for macOS, another CogSci Apps® invention (sold separately). Start working on one device, resume on another! See Recent items and Pin your bookmarks across apps too. Get more out of your favorite apps and data with Hookmark. Using Hookmark requires agreeing to the Licensed Application End User License Agreement (EULA) : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SideNotes Mobile

Capture thoughts and to-dos on the go with this mobile note-taking app. It offers iCloud sync, Markdown formatting, and customizable themes for a personalized experience. Easily access notes from other applications.

Highlights
  • iCloud Synchronization
  • Markdown Formatting
  • Task Management
  • Customizable Themes
  • Note and Folder URLs
  • Note Colors
Features
Read full description

SideNotes Mobile is a fast notes app for iPhone and iPad. Capture notes, tasks, links, and snippets in seconds, then access them across devices with iCloud sync. Version 1.2 brings a major upgrade: - A new editor with hidden Markdown markup - the same as in SideNotes for macOS - Refreshed iOS 26-style interface (Liquid Glass look) - Note folding - Note & Folder pinning - Simple drag-and-drop reordering - New contextual menu - New formatting options - Add Note action for the iPhone Action Button - New translations: Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, and Spanish - UI polish, bug fixes, and quality improvements Core features: - iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Themes and note colors for personalization - Tasks and checklists for daily work - Folder organization and quick search - Note and folder URLs for fast access from other apps - Text settings for comfortable writing and reading - One-time purchase (paid per major version). No subscription. Note: SideNotes Mobile is a companion app to SideNotes for macOS. SideNotes for macOS is sold separately.

Screenshots

Hookmark Pal2 screens
SideNotes Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SideNotes Mobile at 88% against Hookmark Pal's 0%. SideNotes Mobile also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Hookmark Pal's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Hookmark Pal is free to download; SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99 up front. Hookmark Pal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SideNotes Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SideNotes Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 28 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Hookmark Pal's written reviews are positive against 88% of SideNotes Mobile's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hookmark Pal ships an update every 3 weeks, SideNotes Mobile monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Hookmark Pal versus SideNotes Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHookmark PalSideNotes Mobile
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating2.3 (6 ratings)4.2 (28 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews88.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings628 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#156 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCogSci Apps Corp.Apptorium

Customer experience

Hookmark Pal

All ratings6 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral11.1%
Negative88.9%

SideNotes Mobile

All ratings28 ratings
Positive82.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive88.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.6%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Hookmark Pal

Subscriptions2
  • Hookmark Pal3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Hookmark Pal7 Days trial$29.991 Year
None

SideNotes Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hookmark Pal free?
Hookmark Pal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SideNotes Mobile free?
SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hookmark Pal or SideNotes Mobile?
SideNotes Mobile is rated higher. Hookmark Pal averages 2.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while SideNotes Mobile averages 4.2 from 28 ratings.
Do Hookmark Pal or SideNotes Mobile have ads?
Neither Hookmark Pal nor SideNotes Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hookmark Pal or SideNotes Mobile?
Hookmark Pal ships an update every 3 weeks, and SideNotes Mobile monthly. Most recently, Hookmark Pal was updated on October 6, 2026 and SideNotes Mobile on October 16, 2026.

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