HackerNotes vs Pond
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HackerNotes
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Plan daily tasks from a hacker's unique perspective and highlight completed ones, just like on GitHub; Take notes efficiently and concisely, with unlimited tag addition; The thrilling achievement system helps you surpass yourself daily; Immerse in the hacker vibe with 4 distinct hacker styles and 2 page transition effects.
Pond
Capture thoughts and ideas instantly with a simple, intuitive interface. Organize notes, set reminders, and merge ideas seamlessly. Access your thoughts everywhere with cloud sync.
- Quick note capture
- Voice input for thoughts
- Merge multiple notes
- Highlighting and reminders
- Organize with multiple ponds
- iCloud seamless sync
- One-hand mode
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Capture thoughts instantly, grow them into ideas. Pond focuses on the pure essence of note-taking without complexity. The moment inspiration strikes, capture it with a single tap. Key Features: • Quick Capture - Start typing with one tap • Voice Input - Long press to speak your thoughts • Merge Ideas - Combine multiple notes into one • Highlight & Remind - Never forget important thoughts • Multiple Ponds - Organize by topic or project • Seamless Sync - Access everywhere with iCloud Special Features: - One-hand mode for comfortable use - Shake to change sort order - Double tap to edit quickly - Full dark mode support Drop your thoughts into Pond and watch them grow. Simple yet powerful thought management starts here. #notes #quicknotes #ideas #productivity #todo #voicenotes #minimal
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: HackerNotes at 12.0 against Pond's 16.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
HackerNotes costs $1.99 and Pond $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HackerNotes ships an update every 3 days, Pond every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HackerNotes | Pond |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 慧英 郭 | EUIHYUNG JUNG |
In-app purchases
HackerNotes
No in-app purchases
Pond
No in-app purchases
