Sidebar | Fast Notes vs Pip
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sidebar | Fast Notes
Quickly capture thoughts and ideas without the need for organization. Entries are timestamped logs that can be tagged as to-dos or personal wins/losses. Syncs across devices with custom themes and a stealth mode.
- Instant note capture
- Timestamped entries
- To-do list integration
- Personal scoreboard
- Cross-device sync
- Custom themes
- Stealth mode
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Open. Type. Done. Sidebar opens with the keyboard ready, so you can catch an idea in seconds and get back to what you were doing. No folders, no file names, no formatting. Just get it down before it's gone. EVERY ENTRY IS A LOG Notes are quick, timestamped logs, not documents. Add a tag when one needs to do more: - Todo: adds it to your task list - Win or Loss: counts toward your scoreboard - Love: marks the ideas worth coming back to KEEP SCORE Track wins and losses for anything: running, flossing, screen time. Your scoreboard shows what's on track and what needs attention. MAKE IT YOURS Choose any color for your theme. AND A FEW EXTRAS - Widget: pin an idea to your home screen - Sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Stealth Mode: keep sensitive notes private - Time Travel: revisit a random day
Pip
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Pip is a cheerful timer companion that makes one countdown — or a whole everyday routine — easy to start, easy to follow, and easy to finish. A BUDDY THAT SHOWS YOUR TIME Pip is a little jar of time with a face. It floats on the time you have left, naps when you pause, and perks up in the last minute. Prefer someone else? Meet Mochi, Toast, Sprout and Bloop, who you unlock by finishing timers. START IN SECONDS • Type or say it: "tea 4 min", "focus 25 min then break 5 min, repeat 4 times", "pasta 10 min, drain 1 min, sauce 4 min". • Or set it by hand with hours, minutes and seconds. • Quick starts for tea, eggs, focus, naps, laundry and planks. • You always review the steps before anything starts. CHAINS FOR REAL ROUTINES • Save routines like Pasta night, Morning routine, Study sprint and Laundry day, and edit them freely. • Wait for me: each step rings, then waits until you're ready for the next one. • Automatic: steps move on by themselves, with one alarm when the whole chain ends. • Run several timers at once and keep an eye on each from one calm home screen. ALARMS YOU CAN TRUST • With your permission, Pip uses system alarms, so timers show on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island and ring even when Pip is closed. • Pause, resume and add a minute from the Lock Screen. • Prefer something quieter? Use normal notifications, or keep timers in the app only. • Pip always shows how each timer will alert you. YOUR SOUND, YOUR WAY Every buddy rings with its own sound — rubber duck, cat chorus, toaster pop, soft chimes or boing — or pick one sound for everything, or one just for a single timer. GENTLE BY DESIGN • A calm look with a quiet display option, plus dark mode. • No streaks, no pressure and no guilt: stickers and buddies are small souvenirs you can ignore completely. • Works with Dynamic Type, VoiceOver and Reduce Motion. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT No account, no ads, no tracking and no network connection. Everything stays on your iPhone. Speech for the mic button is turned into text on your device and never saved. MAKE IT YOURS Tell Pip your name (optional) and it will say hello — and, if you like, use it in alerts. Your name stays on your iPhone. WIDGETS AND SHORTCUTS Start a saved timer from the Home Screen, or ask Siri and Shortcuts to start, pause, resume or add a minute. Pip is a timer, not a medical or therapy tool.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Sidebar | Fast Notes at 18.6 against Pip's 26.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Sidebar | Fast Notes | Pip |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chris Woods | JAMIE ELIZABETH WATKINS |
In-app purchases
Sidebar | Fast Notes
No in-app purchases
Pip
No in-app purchases









