PocketSpec vs JSONPad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PocketSpec
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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).
JSONPad
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | PocketSpec | JSONPad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | — | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shun Kiyoura | Colin Schmale |
In-app purchases
PocketSpec
No in-app purchases
JSONPad
No in-app purchases









