Comparison

Dotly vs BoringNote

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dotly

Features
Read full description

Dotly β€” capture to Workflowy in seconds. A fleeting thought. A sudden idea. A task you can't afford to forget. Dotly helps you capture it instantly and send it straight to Workflowy. Whether you're offline or on the move, Dotly keeps your thoughts safe until you're ready to sync. Designed for speed and calm, it brings the art of writing and the beauty of structure together β€” in one elegant flow. Features: - Instant Capture: Add notes, ideas, or reminders to Workflowy in seconds. No friction, no fuss. - Offline Outbox: Write anytime, anywhere. Dotly queues your notes and syncs automatically when you're back online. - Minimal Design: A clean, fluid interface that keeps you focused on what matters: your thoughts. - Smart Shortcuts: Capture with a single tap from widgets or keyboard shortcuts. Send instantly, stay in the flow. - History: Review everything you've sent. Your capture timeline, always accessible. - Custom Settings: Choose how and where your dots land inside Workflowy. - Cross-Platform: Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. One purchase unlocks all platforms. Dotly is for thinkers, creators, and builders β€” for anyone who believes that every great project begins with a single thought. Download Dotly and start capturing.

About

BoringNote

Capture thoughts effortlessly with a chat-style interface, voice transcription, and AI-powered refinement. Organize ideas with categories and comments, and transform notes into structured outputs like to-do lists or emails.

Highlights
  • Chat-style note interface
  • Voice transcription in over 100 languages
  • AI-powered note refinement
  • Convert notes to tasks, summaries, emails
  • Integrations with OpenAI, Gemini, etc.
  • Menu bar capture
  • iCloud sync across macOS, iOS
Features
Read full description

BoringNote is a fast and simple way to capture your thoughts. Whether you type or speak, it lets you take notes as naturally as chatting, keeping you focused and organised. With built-in voice transcription, AI-powered refinement, and flexible organisation, BoringNote helps you capture ideas instantly and turn them into structured, useful notes β€” all in one place. SIMPLIFIED NOTE TAKING - Write or speak your thoughts in a chat-style interface that feels natural and frictionless - Capture ideas instantly without interrupting your workflow - Organise notes effortlessly with categories, pins, and comments VOICE AND TRANSCRIPTION - Speak instead of typing with fast and accurate transcription - Supports over 100 languages - Works in the background so you can capture notes anytime - Built-in dictionary improves recognition for names and custom terms AI-POWERED PROCESSING - Automatically refine and polish your notes before saving - Transform notes into structured outputs such as to-do lists, summaries, and emails - Use integrations with OpenAI, Gemini, LM Studio, and Ollama - Trigger AI actions instantly using simple commands - Create and manage custom prompts tailored to your workflow NOTES AND ORGANISATION - Chat-style notes for quick and natural input - Convert notes into task lists for daily tracking - Add comments to expand ideas and provide context - Use calendar view to navigate notes by date - Keep everything organised with flexible categorisation PRODUCTIVITY AND SPEED - Capture notes directly from the menu bar without opening the main window - Designed to minimise interruptions and keep you in flow - Optimised for both quick capture and deeper work sessions SYNC AND AVAILABILITY - Sync your notes across macOS and upcoming iOS devices using iCloud - Access your content anywhere with seamless continuity USE CASES - Daily journaling - Meeting notes - Task management - Brainstorming - Voice-first note taking - Personal productivity workflows BoringNote helps you focus on your ideas, not the process of writing them down. Privacy Policy: https://boringnote.aowlly.com/privacy-policy.html Terms of Service: https://boringnote.aowlly.com/terms-of-service.html

Screenshots

Dotly4 screens
BoringNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: BoringNote at every 5 days against Dotly's every 5 weeks. BoringNote also leads on iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Dotly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and BoringNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dotly ships an update every 5 weeks, BoringNote every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on June 24, 2026 and August 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
Dotly versus BoringNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDotlyBoringNote
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetizationβ€”Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch β€” betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.018.6 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size15 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndriy BezemchukLiang Wang

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dotly

One-time1
  • Dotly Pro (Lifetime)$2.99
1 purchases

BoringNote

One-time1
  • BoringNote Pro$29.99

Questions

Is Dotly free?
Dotly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BoringNote free?
BoringNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dotly or BoringNote have ads?
Neither Dotly nor BoringNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dotly or BoringNote?
Dotly ships an update every 5 weeks, and BoringNote every 5 days. Most recently, Dotly was updated on June 24, 2026 and BoringNote on August 15, 2026.

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