Comparison

HotJot Notes vs Foxlore

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

Head to head
About

HotJot Notes

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
Read full description

Stop overthinking your notes. HotJot is the fastest way to capture ideas, photos, and thoughts using an interface you already know: a text thread. Organize your life into Stacks. These are focused, chronological streams of consciousness that feel like texting yourself. Whether it’s a fleeting thought, a photo of a receipt, or a project log, HotJot keeps it organized by time and topic without the heavy feel of other note-taking apps. Why HotJot? • The "Text-to-Save" Workflow: No friction. Just pick a Stack and start typing. • Visual Timelines: Every entry is automatically timestamped. Scroll back to see exactly when an idea struck. • Total Privacy: Your data never leaves your device or your personal iCloud backup. It’s in your control. • Own Your Data: Don’t get locked in. Export any Stack (or your entire library) into a clean .zip file containing universal Markdown files and your original photos or videos. • No ads: We hate ads as much as you do. HotJot is completely free for an introductory period, and if you get it while it's free you'll get upgraded for free later. Perfect for: • Project Tracking: Document progress with photos and quick notes. • Quick Capture: Save links, quotes, book recommendations, and "to-dos" before they vanish. • Personal Journaling: A space for your daily thoughts. • Shopping & Lists: Text your family’s requests into a dedicated Stack.

About

Foxlore

This app offers private note-taking with on-device AI for intelligent search and content understanding. It supports markdown, rich text, and secure note locking, with all data processed locally for maximum privacy. Enjoy a one-time purchase for all features and future updates.

Highlights
  • On-device AI for search and image understanding
  • Semantic and keyword search
  • Full markdown with rich text editing
  • Note linking and backlinks
  • Face ID/Touch ID protected notes
  • Optional end-to-end encrypted iCloud sync
  • One-time purchase, no subscription
Features
Read full description

Foxlore is a private, intelligent notebook that helps you capture ideas, connect knowledge, and rediscover what you know. • Write with rich Markdown, including tables, LaTeX equations, lists, callouts, code blocks and inline images. • Browse your library as a streamlined note stream with focused notes and compact previews. • Organize notes using nested tags and reusable Include, Require and Exclude filters. • Find information using exact-word and semantic search, or discover related ideas with Find Similar. • Generate on-device summaries on supported devices. • Attach locations, calendar events, audio and PDFs—then search their extracted content. • Create links between notes and attachments. • Zoom into images with familiar pinch gestures. • Protect sensitive notes by locking tags with Face ID or Touch ID. • Import and export Markdown, or export individual notes as paginated PDFs. • Keep your library synchronized through iCloud, with automatic local backups. Privacy is fundamental to Foxlore. Search, indexing, image captions and AI features run on your device. Foxlore does not send your notes or searches to a hosted AI service. When iCloud sync is enabled, your library is synchronized privately using Apple’s CloudKit.

Screenshots

HotJot Notes4 screens
Foxlore4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HotJot Notes at none against Foxlore's 1. HotJot Notes also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Foxlore's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

Both are free to download. Foxlore sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. HotJot Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HotJot Notes ships an update every 2 months, Foxlore every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
HotJot Notes versus Foxlore: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHotJot NotesFoxlore
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB56 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSandstorm Innovations LLC (US)Searchliness

Customer experience

HotJot Notes

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Foxlore

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

HotJot Notes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Foxlore

One-time1
  • Unlock Foxlore$14.99

Questions

Is HotJot Notes free?
HotJot Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Foxlore free?
Foxlore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HotJot Notes or Foxlore?
HotJot Notes and Foxlore are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do HotJot Notes or Foxlore have ads?
Neither HotJot Notes nor Foxlore shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HotJot Notes or Foxlore?
HotJot Notes ships an update every 2 months, and Foxlore every 2 weeks. Most recently, HotJot Notes was updated on September 18, 2026 and Foxlore on September 25, 2026.

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