Tot is a new Markdown-powered, iCloud-syncing scratchpad by the Iconfactory. The Mac app is comprised of a single window with seven colored tabs. Each tab can hold text, and syncs to its iOS companion for quick notes or easy sharing across devices.
The business model makes it clear that the Iconfactory views this as a Mac-first application. The Mac version is free, while the universal iOS version is a whopping $20. The mobile version is very nice, but I can’t help but agree with Federico Viticci’s take on things:
While I’m going to purchase Tot for iOS because it does exactly what I need and I personally want to support The Iconfactory, let me explain why I don’t like this approach and why I can’t easily recommend the app to everyone. The decision to make the Mac app available for free and lock the iOS version behind a $20 purchase feels unnecessarily punitive towards iPhone and iPad users who may not be interested in the Mac app at all. I understand how The Iconfactory may consider Tot for iOS a “satellite” version of the “real” Mac app (a line of thinking that, frankly, would be fairly shortsighted in 2020); even then, however, iOS users who may not be familiar with (or care about) the backstory will just see a $20 scratchpad app on the App Store, and they’ll probably balk at downloading it. Of course, everyone is free to adopt and experiment with the pricing model they prefer; as a reviewer though, it is my job to tell you that you can find more affordable plain text apps on the App Store these days.
Despite this, I really like Tot, and have it on all of my devices. For the last several years, I’ve used Apple’s Notes app to slingshot temporary text around to my devices, but Tot is far better for this — and much, much better looking.