HotJot Notes vs Fountain Notes
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
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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.
Fountain Notes
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Fountain Notes opens to a blank note so you can get an idea out before it slips away. No formatting maze. No folders to manage. No decision fatigue before the thought is even written. Write the note, file it away, and move on. Fountain Notes keeps old notes organized automatically and hidden from view until you need them. Search and the drawer are there when you want to find something, but they do not crowd the writing surface. Built for quick ideas, tiny reminders, quotes, fragments, and the little thoughts that usually vanish while you are deciding where they belong. Fountain Notes is intentionally small: - Blank note first - Fast local saving - One thought at a time - Clean search - Calm history drawer A quiet place to catch the thing and keep going.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Fountain Notes at every 5 days against HotJot Notes's every 2 months. HotJot Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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.
HotJot Notes ships an update every 2 months, Fountain Notes every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HotJot Notes | Fountain Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sandstorm Innovations LLC (US) | Brandon Wilson |
In-app purchases
HotJot Notes
No in-app purchases
Fountain Notes
No in-app purchases









