HotJot Notes vs Foxlore
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Text-to-Save workflow
- Organize into Stacks
- Visual Timelines
- Total Privacy
- Export to Markdown
- No ads
Read full descriptionHide 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.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Foxlore sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Foxlore. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.
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.
| Parameter | HotJot Notes | Foxlore |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sandstorm Innovations LLC (US) | Searchliness |
Customer experience
HotJot Notes
Foxlore
In-app purchases
HotJot Notes
No in-app purchases
Foxlore
- Unlock Foxlore$14.99









