Comparison

HotJot Notes vs OV Notes

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

OV Notes

Features
Read full description

A calm, minimal place to write in plain Markdown, plan your days, and let a private AI Copilot do the busywork on the notes you already wrote. OV Notes keeps everything simple and yours. No account, no sign-up, no ads. Just open it and write, on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Write in Markdown • Plain Markdown that stays simple, readable files you actually own • A clean, focused editor that stays out of your way • Light and Dark themes that follow your system automatically Calendar and to-dos • A monthly calendar greets you on the home screen • Add to-dos to any date and check them off • See today's tasks at a glance AI Copilot for your own notes • Summarize a long note in seconds • Draft a meeting-note outline to start from • Organize today's to-dos so nothing slips • Ask "what's on my schedule this week?" and get a clear answer • It only ever works on your own notes, never anyone else's Stay organized • Folders and a nested file-tree vault keep everything in its place • An "All notes" list puts every note one tap away, even as it grows Widgets that keep up • Home-screen and Lock-screen widgets show your to-dos without opening the app Sync across your devices • iCloud sync keeps notes current on iPhone, iPad, and the OV Mac app • It uses your own iCloud, so your notes stay private to you Private by design • Local-first: your notes live on your device and in your own iCloud • No account or sign-up needed • No ads, no tracking, and nothing collected by us Free to use, and fully bilingual in Korean and English. Write a little, plan a little, and keep it all in one quiet place that's truly yours.

Screenshots

HotJot Notes4 screens
OV Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: OV Notes at 13.0 against HotJot Notes's 15.1. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
HotJot Notes versus OV Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHotJot NotesOV Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSandstorm Innovations LLC (US)HAKYUNG CHOI

In-app purchases

None

HotJot Notes

No in-app purchases

None

OV Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HotJot Notes free?
HotJot Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OV Notes free?
OV Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HotJot Notes or OV Notes have ads?
Neither HotJot Notes nor OV Notes shows ads.

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