Comparison

PocketSpec vs JSONPad

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

Head to head
About

PocketSpec

Features
Read full description

PocketSpec is a read-only viewer for comfortably reading the Markdown specifications inside your GitHub repositories, right on your iPhone and iPad. Check the design docs and specs stored in your project's docs/ folder anytime, anywhere. It isn't tied to a single repository — register multiple projects as a "spec bookshelf" and switch between them to read. ■ Key features • GitHub integration (read-only) Sign in with GitHub and securely fetch only the contents of the repository, branch, and documentation folder you specify. It never edits or commits files. • Clean Markdown rendering Supports headings, lists, code blocks, tables, images, and links. Optimized so even long specifications are comfortable to read. • Mermaid diagram rendering Renders Mermaid code such as flowcharts and sequence diagrams as real diagrams. Tap to zoom to full screen. • Manage multiple projects Set a repository, branch, and display folder per project. The last opened project and document are restored on launch. • Offline support Once fetched, content is cached on device, so you can read your most recently synced specs even with no connection. • Secure by design Limits the visible content to the folder you specify; it never reads source code or configuration files. Access tokens are stored only in the device Keychain and are never sent to any external server. ■ Who it's for • Engineers who want to quickly check their project's specs on the move or before a meeting • Anyone who wants to read documentation from multiple development repositories in one place • Anyone who wants to safely view private-repository design docs from their iPhone ■ Before you start Using this app requires a GitHub account and read access to the target repositories. To read private repositories, install the dedicated GitHub App on the target repository (the only permission required is Contents: read-only).

About

JSONPad

Features
Read full description

JSONPad makes it easy to view, edit, and explore JSON directly on your device. Paste or type JSON directly, open a local file, or load data from a URL. Features: • Clear syntax highlighting, indentation guides, and collapsible sections • Edit JSON directly with continuous syntax validation • Quickly locate errors with precise line and column information • Search using plain text or complete RFC 9535 JSONPath expressions • Navigate between matches and copy JSONPath results • Copy or save edited documents • Smooth handling of large JSON files • Light and dark mode support Your documents are processed locally on your device. URL requests go directly from your device to the selected address and never through a JSONPad server.

Screenshots

PocketSpec4 screens
JSONPad3 screens

Verdict

The call

PocketSpec and JSONPad are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
PocketSpec versus JSONPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocketSpecJSONPad
PriceFreeFree
Update frequency—Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShun KiyouraColin Schmale

In-app purchases

None

PocketSpec

No in-app purchases

None

JSONPad

No in-app purchases

Questions

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

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