Comparison

HotJot Notes vs Stacy

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

Stacy

Features
Read full description

Stacy is a flexible workspace for notes, projects, journals, databases, whiteboards, and connected ideas. Write with a block editor, organize information into structured pages, link related work, and collaborate on shared documents. Sketch on an infinite whiteboard canvas with stickies, shapes, and connectors — the same canvas as Stacy on desktop. Record a voice memo or a whole meeting right on your phone — Stacy transcribes it into a structured page with the summary, decisions, and action items. Capture a web link or text from the iOS Share Extension and finish organizing it when Stacy opens. After one successful sign-in and sync, previously available workspace data and cached shared pages can open without a connection. Supported local edits and new attachments, plus supported shared-page edits, stay on the device and retry after Stacy reconnects and revalidates access. Hosted AI, live presence, first sign-in, incoming collaborator changes, and files that have not yet been cached still require internet access. Hosted AI is optional. Before the first hosted request on iOS, Stacy explains which prompt or selected content is sent and which provider categories process it. Declining hosted AI does not remove notes, sync, or collaboration. Public pages include a Report action. Account holders can review connected devices, withdraw hosted-AI permission, and permanently delete their account from the app. Stacy is free to use. An optional Stacy Pro subscription unlocks higher AI limits, unlimited email-gated shared pages, and more attachment storage. Stacy Pro (optional auto-renewable subscription) • Stacy Pro Monthly — $7.99 per month • Stacy Pro Yearly — $79.99 per year Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://stacy.page/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Stacy Terms of Service: https://stacy.page/terms

Screenshots

HotJot Notes4 screens
Stacy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HotJot Notes at none against Stacy's 2. Stacy's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. Stacy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. HotJot Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HotJot Notes ships an update every 2 months, Stacy every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
HotJot Notes versus Stacy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHotJot NotesStacy
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSandstorm Innovations LLC (US)Sadullah Dinc

In-app purchases

None

HotJot Notes

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Stacy

Subscriptions2
  • Stacy Pro (Monthly)$7.991 Month
  • Stacy Pro (Yearly)$79.991 Year

Questions

Is HotJot Notes free?
HotJot Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stacy free?
Stacy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HotJot Notes or Stacy have ads?
Neither HotJot Notes nor Stacy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HotJot Notes or Stacy?
HotJot Notes ships an update every 2 months, and Stacy every 9 days. Most recently, HotJot Notes was updated on October 24, 2026 and Stacy on October 19, 2026.

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