ntfy vs Point to Text
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ntfy
This app allows you to send push notifications to your phone from scripts or other applications using simple HTTP requests. It acts as a client for a free, open-source pub-sub service, enabling you to receive alerts and updates directly on your device.
- Send notifications via REST API
- Subscribe to topics
- Publish messages via HTTP
- Integrates with Bash/PowerShell
- Free and open source client
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Send push notifications to your phone from any Bash or PowerShell script, or from your own app using PUT/POST requests, e.g. via curl on Linux or Invoke-WebRequest. ntfy is a client for https://ntfy.sh, a free and open source HTTP-based pub-sub service. You can subscribe to topics in this app, and then publish messages via a simple HTTP API. Uses: * Notify yourself when a long-running process is done * Ping your phone when a backup has failed * Alerts when someone logs into your server Example: $ curl -d "Your backup is done" ntfy.sh/mytopic Find more examples and usage instructions here: https://ntfy.sh/docs
Point to Text
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If you're looking at a bookshelf, or an aisle in the supermarket or drug store, and you want some help locating a title or label, then Point to Text is for you. When you launch Point to Text, it will start using the camera to scan the world. Type in the text you are seeking in the text field at the top, tap the screen, and Point to Text will point to the text. It works in either landscape or portrait mode. If Point to Text doesn't spot your text right away, step in closer and point the camera at the various places to search. You can try scanning slowly, or stopping at each spot and then moving to an adjacent spot. To reach lower shelves, reach down and turn the phone upside down. Because it uses Augmented Reality, it remembers where it spotted text -- so if you step back when you're done scanning up close, Point to Text will point to the text it found while you were moving the phone camera. If more than one instance of the search string is found, Point to Text will point to up to four of them. The gear icon on the bottom right of the screen will allow you to select alternate pointer styles.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Point to Text at every 3 days against ntfy's fortnightly. ntfy's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ntfy ships an update fortnightly, Point to Text every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ntfy | Point to Text |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (442 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 442 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Philipp Heckel | Robert Lefkowitz |
Bugs and requests
ntfy
Reported bugs
3 issues- Notifications not working on iOS
- Broken click URLs in notifications
- Compatibility issues with iOS notification summarizing
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to change notification sounds
- Support for Apple Watch
- Customizable topic names/aliases
- Improved iOS notification handling
- All topics view and read/unread indicators
Point to Text
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ntfy
No in-app purchases
Point to Text
No in-app purchases









