The Tot Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Tot in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Tot
The Insider’s Guide
Seven-note text scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Tot’s own pages.
Made by The Iconfactory · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Tot’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Tot’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Tot is a small text scratchpad from The Iconfactory for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. It keeps exactly seven color-coded notes, called dots, in a single window; each holds rich or plain text that can be converted to Markdown, and the dots sync through iCloud. The Mac and iOS apps are free to download, and a one-time in-app purchase on each platform unlocks premium features such as text dividers and custom smart bullets.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Tot, taken from its own pages and our grades.
If you keep notes long term or use Windows or Android, look elsewhere.
- 1
Best for a seven-note scratchpad on Apple devices
Tot is a scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with exactly seven notes, called dots, and no way to add more.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $19.99 one-time in-app purchase, per platform.
- 3
There is a free plan
The Mac app and the iPhone and iPad app are free to download. Premium features, which the vendor says include text dividers and custom smart bullets, need the paid unlock.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
macOS and iOS.
- 5
Seven dots
All text lives in seven color-coded dots in one window. The vendor says the limit is deliberate and cannot be raised; each dot holds up to 100,000 characters.
- 6
iCloud sync and Apple Watch app
Dots sync between Mac, iPhone and iPad through iCloud. Tot Mini, a separate $1.99 Apple Watch app, joins the same sync and takes dictation and Scribble input.
- 7
Rich text, plain text and Markdown
A dot can hold rich or plain text, and rich text can be turned into Markdown for use on the web. Word and character counts update as you type.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 50 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Tot you could make: notes and Markdown. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Tot at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $19.99 one-time in-app purchase, per platform
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS
- Made by
- The Iconfactory, since 2020
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for a seven-note scratchpad on Apple devices
Tot is a scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with exactly seven notes, called dots, and no way to add more. The apps are free, but the premium unlock is $19.99 on the Mac and $19.99 again on iPhone and iPad, the Watch app is $1.99 more, sync is iCloud only, and backups are unencrypted. If you keep notes long term or use Windows or Android, look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | The unlock is $19.99 once, against $6 a month for the middle of this category, about three and a half months of a typical subscription. You pay it separately on the Mac and on iOS though, the Watch app is another $1.99, and the only things the listing names it buying are text dividers and custom smart bullets. |
| Free plan and trial | B | One person could stay on the free download: both apps are free, and what's locked is dividers and custom bullets rather than the scratchpad itself. Seven dots is the ceiling whether you pay or not. |
| Features | C | It does the scratchpad job completely, and that is a much smaller job than a notes app. Seven colour-coded dots in one window, 100,000 characters each, formatted or plain text that converts to Markdown, smart bullets, iCloud sync, Shortcuts and widgets. Seven is the limit and the vendor says it can't be raised. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but there's nothing to set up and nothing to organise, because there are only seven places to put anything. On the Mac it drops down from the menu bar or a keyboard shortcut. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Apple only: Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, synced through iCloud and nothing else, with Shortcuts actions on both. No Windows, Android or web version, and the Mac app wants macOS 14.0 or later. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Tot is for
- Fits if you want a scratchpad for text you'll only need for an hour
- Works for Shortcuts users who need somewhere to stash and fetch text
Who it is not for
- Too light for anyone who keeps notes long term, as seven dots is all you get
- Pricey if you want premium on both Mac and iPhone, since that's $19.99 twice, plus $1.99 for the Watch app
- Skip it if you'd paste passwords in, because backups are unencrypted and the vendor advises against storing secrets
- Not for you if you use Windows or Android, as it's Apple only with iCloud as the only sync
- Watch out: the Mac app needs macOS 14.0 or later, and the unlock only names dividers and custom bullets
Good to know
Good for
- Mac and iPhone users who want a scratchpad for short-lived text
- People who prefer a fixed handful of notes to a growing library
- Shortcuts users who need a place to stash and fetch text
Worth knowing
- The site lists apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch only; there is no Windows, Android or web version.
- Notes are fixed at seven dots of up to 100,000 characters each, and the vendor says more cannot be added.
- Premium features are bought separately on the Mac and on iOS at $19.99 each, and the Apple Watch app costs another $1.99.
- Sync runs through iCloud only, and automatic backups are unencrypted JSON files; the vendor advises against storing secrets in Tot.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$19.99 one-time
To start. There is a free plan too
Tot has a free plan. Paid plans start at $19.99 one-time in-app purchase, per platform.
Seven dots is the ceiling whether you pay or not.
Free download
$0
Tot for Mac and Tot Pocket for iPhone and iPad are free on the App Store, with premium features locked until purchased.
Tot for macOS
$19.99
one-time in-app purchase (US Mac App Store)
Unlocks the premium features on the Mac, such as text dividers and custom smart bullets. Requires macOS 14.0 or later.
Tot for iOS and iPadOS
$19.99
one-time in-app purchase (US App Store)
Unlocks the premium features in Tot Pocket on iPhone and iPad. People who paid for Tot 1.0 on iOS get version 2 by restoring the purchase.
The free plan
The Mac app and the iPhone and iPad app are free to download. Premium features, which the vendor says include text dividers and custom smart bullets, need the paid unlock.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 9, 2026.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Tot for macOS”, against $19.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $24.99 | $17.57 | 12% less |
| Turkey | ₺999,99 | $20.34 | about the same |
| Philippines | ₱ 1,290.00 | $20.53 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 1,999 | $20.67 | about the same |
| South Africa | R399.99 | $24.19 | 21% more |
| Germany | 22,99 € | $25.76 | 29% more |
| Brazil | R$ 129,90 | $25.95 | 30% more |
| United Kingdom | £19.99 | $26.43 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: macOS and iOS
Seven-note text scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, notes, Markdown, menu bar app.
It does the scratchpad job completely, and that is a much smaller job than a notes app.
- Seven dots
- All text lives in seven color-coded dots in one window. The vendor says the limit is deliberate and cannot be raised; each dot holds up to 100,000 characters.
- iCloud sync and Apple Watch app
- Dots sync between Mac, iPhone and iPad through iCloud. Tot Mini, a separate $1.99 Apple Watch app, joins the same sync and takes dictation and Scribble input.
- Rich text, plain text and Markdown
- A dot can hold rich or plain text, and rich text can be turned into Markdown for use on the web. Word and character counts update as you type.
- Smart bullets and dividers
- Smart bullets make checklists whose items toggle with a tap. Version 2 added up to eight custom bullet pairs and eight divider styles.
- Menu bar and floating window
- On the Mac, Tot opens from the menu bar, the Dock or both, can float above other windows, and can be shown with a keyboard shortcut.
- Shortcuts, widgets and backups
- Shortcuts actions on macOS and iOS store and retrieve the text of a dot, iOS has Home Screen widgets, and both platforms keep automatic local backups.
Where it runs
- macOS
- iOS
What it works with
- iCloud
- Apple Shortcuts
Tot is made by The Iconfactory, and has been around since 2020.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
50/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Tot's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 71 of 147) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Tot’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 48 of 147
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- BEase of useAbove 47 of 147
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 147
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Tot you could make: notes and Markdown. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $19.99, paid once.
What you could make
- Notes and Markdown: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- Apps for macOS and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- Hooks into the device itself: an Apple Watch app, widgets and Shortcuts.
What this rests on. Tot’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Drafts, SideNotes, Antinote, Heynote and Apple Notes
The 5 tools Tot is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
Drafts
Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Quick-capture notes app for Apple devices with text actions.
- Tot can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Tot also covers menu bar app.
- Drafts also covers transcription, dictation and workflow automation.
- 2.6GPA
SideNotes
Free trial · from $9.99 one-time
Screen-edge notes panel for Mac, with a separate iPhone app.
- Tot has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- SideNotes also covers tasks.
- 2.4GPA
Antinote
Free trial · from $5 one-time
Mac scratchpad for temporary notes, quick math and checklists.
- Tot has a free plan. Antinote does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tot lists an iOS app.
- Tot also covers Markdown.
- 3.0GPA
Heynote
Free
Block-based scratchpad for developers on Mac, Windows and Linux.
- Only Tot lists an iOS app.
- Only Heynote lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Tot can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.4GPA
Apple Notes
Free
Apple's free notes app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web.
- Only Apple Notes lists a web app.
- Tot can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Tot also covers Markdown and menu bar app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Tot free?
Tot has a free plan. The Mac app and the iPhone and iPad app are free to download.
How much does Tot cost?
Tot lists 3 plans. Free download: $0.
What platforms does Tot work on?
Tot is available on macOS and iOS.
Does Tot have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Tot is listed for macOS and iOS.
Does Tot have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Tot is listed for macOS and iOS.
Is Tot open source?
Tot is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Tot integrate with?
Tot's listing names iCloud and Apple Shortcuts. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Tot?
Tot is made by The Iconfactory. It dates from 2020.
What are the alternatives to Tot?
The closest alternatives to Tot in our directory are Drafts, SideNotes, Antinote, Heynote and Apple Notes.
How does Tot compare with other note-taking apps?
Tot's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
Could I make my own version of Tot?
The plain part of Tot you could make: notes and Markdown. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Tot’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from The Iconfactory's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-05.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by The Iconfactory. Prices change, so check tot.rocks before you buy.
- apps.apple.com/us/app/tot/id1491071483?mt=12
- apps.apple.com/us/app/tot-pocket/id1498235191
- apps.apple.com/us/app/tot-mini/id1644609331
- tot.rocks/
- tot.rocks/history
- iconfactory.happyfox.com/kb/article/179-how-much-does-it-cost-to-upgrade-to-tot-2/
- iconfactory.happyfox.com/kb/article/66-can-i-add-more-than-seven-dots/
- iconfactory.happyfox.com/kb/article/67-can-i-use-a-sync-service-other-than-icloud/
- iconfactory.happyfox.com/kb/article/69-is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-text/
- iconfactory.happyfox.com/kb/article/58-data-privacy-and-security/
- blog.iconfactory.com/2025/08/tot-version-2-says-hello/
- blog.iconfactory.com/2020/02/meet-tot-your-tiny-text-companion/
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Tot, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/tot
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Tot: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/tot
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/tot/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Tot, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Tot’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Tot is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The Iconfactory. Prices and plans change: check tot.rocks before you buy.