# HotJot Notes vs Bamboo

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HotJot Notes at none against Bamboo's 2. HotJot Notes also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bamboo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. HotJot Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HotJot Notes against 5.0 for Bamboo. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HotJot Notes | Bamboo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotjot-notes/id6746663266/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bamboo-ai-markdown-notes/id6753059522/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 38 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sandstorm Innovations LLC (US)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1810930745) | [志贵 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435765171) |

## What reviewers say

### HotJot Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotjot-notes/id6746663266)

Capture ideas, photos, and thoughts quickly using a familiar text thread interface. Organize your life into chronological "Stacks" for focused streams of consciousness. Export your data easily in universal Markdown format.

**Highlights:** Text-to-Save workflow, Organize into Stacks, Visual Timelines, Total Privacy, Export to Markdown, No ads

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bamboo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bamboo-ai-markdown-notes/id6753059522)

This app is a Markdown note-taking tool for organizing knowledge and utilizing AI features. It allows users to capture ideas, write long-form content, and connect notes with wiki links. AI assistance is available for drafting, summarizing, and brainstorming, with users controlling their AI provider.

**Highlights:** Markdown editor with syntax highlighting, Wiki link creation for connecting notes, AI assistance for drafting and summarizing, Organize notes into collections, Cross-device synchronization, Import and export content

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Pro | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HotJot Notes free?

HotJot Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bamboo free?

Bamboo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HotJot Notes or Bamboo?

HotJot Notes and Bamboo are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do HotJot Notes or Bamboo have ads?

Neither HotJot Notes nor Bamboo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HotJot Notes or Bamboo?

HotJot Notes ships an update every 2 months, and Bamboo every 2 months. Most recently, HotJot Notes was updated on September 18, 2026 and Bamboo on October 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*