Heynote vs Numi

Heynote

• Developers who need a holding place for JSON, logs and code snippets
• Quick calculations and unit conversions next to working notes
• People who want scratch notes kept as plain files on their own disk

Numi

• Mac users doing quick sums with currencies, units or percentages
• Keeping a running calculation with labels and comments beside the numbers
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

Heynote

• Desktop only: there is no mobile app, and the author says one is out of scope for now.
• No sync of its own. The docs suggest a file-syncing service such as Dropbox and warn that editing one buffer on two machines at once can cause conflicts.
• The Windows build is not code-signed, so Windows may show a warning when installing it.
• The code is under the MIT license with the Commons Clause, which does not allow selling the software.

Numi

• The Windows build is labelled a preview and the Linux desktop app is listed as coming soon; on Linux only the terminal version is available.
• The terminal version does not yet support dates, time zone conversion, variables, plugins or the sum, prev and avg tokens.
• Unlimited notes and iCloud sync need the paid license, and the changelog says creating a new note requires activation.
• The buy page shows no price before checkout; $29.99 is the US price from the Paddle checkout that the Buy button opens.

Heynote

Buffers divided into blocks

A buffer is a persistent stretch of text split into blocks. One keystroke adds a block, and select-all picks the current block first, then the whole buffer.

A language for each block

Each block has its own language, detected automatically or set by hand, with syntax highlighting for more than 30 languages and auto-formatting for JSON, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and Markdown.

Math blocks

A math block works as a calculator pad with variables, functions and unit and currency conversion. It is built on Math.js expressions.

Multiple buffers

Besides the default Scratch buffer you can create any number of buffers, open them in tabs, sort them into directories and search across them. Each one is a .txt file on disk.

Inline images with markup

Images pasted or dropped into a buffer appear inline, can be resized and annotated with a freehand drawing tool, and copied back to the clipboard.

Keyboard control

Default, Emacs-like or custom key bindings, a command palette, multi-cursor editing and an optional global hotkey that shows or hides the app.

Numi

Calculations written as text

Type an expression in words or symbols, such as a dollar amount in euros minus a percentage discount, and Numi answers it. Word operators such as plus, times and divide by work alongside signs.

Currency and unit conversion

Converts currencies by ISO code, name or sign, with rates updated several times a day, plus cryptocurrencies and units of length, area, volume, weight, temperature, data and CSS.

Time zones and dates

Shows the current time for a city or time zone, converts a given time from one zone to another, and handles date arithmetic such as today plus two weeks.

Variables, sums and averages

Values can be assigned to variables and reused on later lines. The prev token refers to the previous line's result, and sum and average work on the lines above.

JavaScript plugins

Extensions written in JavaScript add global variables, custom units and custom functions. The documentation says only a limited part of the API is exposed so far.

Terminal version and Alfred workflow

A command-line version, numi-cli, installs on macOS and Linux, and an Alfred workflow built on it answers expressions typed into the launcher.

Heynote

• Heynote$0

  The full app as Mac Universal, Arm and Intel builds, a Windows installer, and an AppImage or Snap for Linux.

Numi

• Free download$0

  Numi without activation. The changelog says creating a new note requires a license.

• Numi License$29.99

  one-time purchase (US price at the Paddle checkout)

  Activates unlimited notes and iCloud sync. Sold through Paddle, which the buy page names as reseller and merchant of record.

• Setapp$14.99

  per month, through a Setapp membership

  The Mac app as part of the Setapp catalog. Setapp's Numi listing prices membership from $14.99 a month, free for 7 days.