Comparison

HotJot Notes vs Fromly

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

Fromly

Read full description

Fromly is your second brain with chat: write notes and tasks, and talk to an AI that actually knows them — because it can read and edit them for you. • Chat with memory: every note, task or document has its own AI conversation. It remembers the context and picks up right where you left off. • AI that really edits: ask it to add a paragraph, summarize a document, or pull tasks out of a note — and it does it directly, not just tells you about it. • Agenda & tasks: plan your day, week and month, with recurring tasks and reminders. • Contexts: group notes and tasks by project or area of your life, each with its own memory. • Agents: automate the processes you repeat. • Real-time sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac and web. Free to start. Pro unlocks unlimited AI. Your notes are yours: private and exportable any time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

HotJot Notes4 screens
Fromly3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HotJot Notes at none against Fromly's 4. HotJot Notes also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). Fromly's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Fromly sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.00 per month. HotJot Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HotJot Notes ships an update every 2 months, Fromly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
HotJot Notes versus Fromly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHotJot NotesFromly
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSandstorm Innovations LLC (US)Alberto Lezaun

In-app purchases

None

HotJot Notes

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Fromly

Subscriptions2
  • Fromly Pro Monthly$6.001 Month
  • Fromly Pro Yearly$45.001 Year
One-time2
  • 5M AI tokens$4.00
  • Fromly Lifetime$129.00

Questions

Is HotJot Notes free?
HotJot Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Fromly free?
Fromly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HotJot Notes or Fromly have ads?
Neither HotJot Notes nor Fromly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HotJot Notes or Fromly?
HotJot Notes ships an update every 2 months, and Fromly every 3 days. Most recently, HotJot Notes was updated on October 6, 2026 and Fromly on October 8, 2026.

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