# Oovium — user reviews

> 68 indexed App Store user reviews of Oovium by Aepryus Software, rated 5.00/5 from 5 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oovium/id336573328/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oovium/id336573328.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 5 · 4★ 0 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 0

## What do users think of Oovium?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 💡 Innovative concept
- 💡 Creative approach to calculations
- 💡 Visualizing problems and solutions
- 💡 Useful for prototyping and debugging
- 💡 Good for "what-if" analysis
- 💡 Unique mind-mapping for calculations
- 💡 Makes math more fun
- 💡 Good for data migration and BI
- 💡 "Back of the envelope" calculations electronically
- 💡 Combines mind mapping, spreadsheet, functions, logic, calculator
- 💡 Reinventing problem-solving approach
- 💡 Excellent for illustrating complex processes
- 💡 Visual design of formulas
- 💡 Easier to trace precedents and dependents than Excel
- 💡 Entertaining calculator
- 💡 Makes iPhone interesting
- 💡 Useful productivity app
- 💡 "Work of art" conceptual leap

**Cons**

- 🐛 Poor documentation
- 🐛 Trial and error learning curve
- 🐛 Mac version unclear
- 🐛 Subscription too expensive
- 🐛 Apple-exclusive
- 🐛 Crashes on launch
- 🐛 No recent updates
- 🐛 Lost functionality
- 🐛 Dropbox links no longer work
- 🐛 Keyboard issues
- 🐛 Lacks manual/help file
- 🐛 Lacks loop structure
- 🐛 Lacks graphing/graphics capabilities
- 🐛 Subscription not automatically renewed
- 🐛 Abandoned project feeling
- 🐛 Interface not intuitive
- 🐛 Clunky on-screen instructions
- 🐛 On-screen hints don't rotate
- 🐛 Odd, unwieldy interface
- 🐛 Tutorial limited to making bubbles
- 🐛 Lacks comprehensive help files
- 🐛 Video tutorials inaccessible for some
- 🐛 Interface prevents feature use
- 🐛 Crashes regularly
- 🐛 Tedious
- 🐛 Custom UI elements instead of standard iOS
- 🐛 Not ready for prime-time
- 🐛 No statistical functions
- 🐛 Difficult to move/link bubbles
- 🐛 No array from spreadsheet/data table
- 🐛 Can't save calculation web
- 🐛 Can't zoom
- 🐛 Interface not intuitive
- 🐛 Frustrating to begin with
- 🐛 Limited capability
- 🐛 Sketchy in-app help
- 🐛 Price seems high for alpha
- 🐛 Limited in-app help
- 🐛 Problems with online forum
- 🐛 Less mental processing than Excel
- 🐛 Needs Undo/Redo
- 🐛 Needs centering
- 🐛 Needs cut/paste formula
- 🐛 Needs colors
- 🐛 Needs search and save
- 🐛 Background fades slowly
- 🐛 No audio feedback option
- 🐛 No statistical functions
- 🐛 Too difficult to move and link bubbles
- 🐛 Help documentation nonexistent
- 🐛 No array of numbers from spreadsheet or data table
- 🐛 No zoom
- 🐛 No scrollbars
- 🐛 Black background poor choice
- 🐛 No labels for boxes
- 🐛 No separation in box between references and numbers
- 🐛 Can't move a box once placed
- 🐛 No visual sign of connections
- 🐛 Needs more functions
- 🐛 Hard to use and get lost
- 🐛 Trippy version of Apple calc
- 🐛 Odd to use

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Subscription not working
- Crashes on launch on iPad
- Links to Dropbox no longer work
- Update killed everything, crashes on first screen
- Crashes regularly
- App crashes at launch
- Crashes and lost data before saving
- Crashes a few times on first use
- Struggled to get rid of help demo
- Crashes regularly and feels like a work in progress
- On-screen hints don't rotate with screen orientation
- Crashes very frequently
- Cannot get an aether saved
- App exits and data is gone
- Redone calculations multiple times
- Crashes at launch
- Launch, crash, launch, crash
- Splash screen up for a fraction of a second
- Crashed 5 times in 15 minutes
- Crash-prone
- Keeps crashing
- Is it this update?
- Forum has no entries since September
- App still supported/under development?
- Testing of releases could be better
- Crashes on start
- Unusable
- Landscape mode reverts to portrait
- Attempts to remove bubble cause a crash
- Problem with online forum
- Forum in its infancy
- Background fades slowly
- No audio feedback option
- No statistical functions
- Too difficult to move and link bubbles
- Help documentation nonexistent
- No array of numbers from spreadsheet or data table
- No zoom
- No scrollbars
- Black background poor choice
- No labels for boxes
- No separation in box between references and numbers
- Can't move a box once it's down
- No visual sign of connections like lines
- Needs more functions
- Hard to use and get lost
- Trippy version of Apple calc
- Odd to use
- Subscription is paid but app not usable
- Mac app not clear, tutorial for iOS only
- Subscription not automatically renewed
- App crashes on launch
- App hasn't been updated in a long time
- App hasn't kept up with iOS changes
- Dropbox links no longer work
- Crashes on launch on iPad
- Update killed everything
- Crashes on first screen
- Crashes regularly
- Feels like a work in progress
- Implementation not intuitive enough
- On-screen instructions are clunky
- On-screen hints don't rotate
- Odd, unwieldy interface
- Tutorial limited to making bubbles
- Lacks comprehensive help files
- Video-based information useless for some
- Interface prevents features from being used
- Crashes regularly
- Tedium
- Custom UI elements instead of standard iOS
- Not ready for prime-time
- No statistical functions
- Too difficult to move and link bubbles
- Help documentation basically nonexistent
- No ability to use an array of numbers from a spreadsheet or data table
- Can't save a calculation web and reuse it
- Can't zoom in
- Interface isn't intuitive
- Can be quite frustrating to begin with
- Crashes very frequently
- Can't get an aether saved
- Once the app exits, it's gone
- Redone the same calculations 3 times
- Crashes at launch
- Launch, crash, launch, crash
- Splash screen up for a fraction of a second
- Crashed 5 times in the last 15 minutes
- GUI needs to be slicker and more polished
- Crashed a few times on first use
- Struggled to get rid of the help demo
- Certain aspects are portrait orientation only
- In app documentation is terribly lacking
- Crash-prone
- Documentation could be much better
- Managed to crash it 5 times in the last 15 minutes
- Lack of stability and good documentation
- Beta at best right now
- Keeps crashing
- Is it this update?
- Could do with a comprehensive set of instructions
- Forum has no entries since September
- Is this app still supported/under development?
- Testing of releases could be better
- Crashes on start
- Unusable
- Landscape mode reverts to portrait
- Attempts to remove the offending bubble also cause a crash
- In-app help is very sketchy
- Price seems high for what seems more like an alpha version than a stable release
- Limited in-app help
- Problems with online forum
- Needs Undo / Redo
- Needs centering
- Needs cut/paste formula
- Needs colors
- Needs search and save
- Background fades slowly
- No audio feedback option
- No statistical functions
- Too difficult to move and link bubbles
- Help documentation is basically nonexistent
- No ability to use an array of numbers from a spreadsheet or data table
- No zoom
- No scrollbars
- Black is a poor choice of background color
- No labels for boxes
- No separation in a box between references from other boxes and numbers entered directly
- Can't move a box once it's down
- No visual sign of connections like lines
- Needs more functions
- Hard enough to use and once it is set up you get lost quickly
- Trippy version of the apple calc
- Kinda odd to use

**Most requested features**

- Better terminology
- Vastly better documentation
- Pay-once option
- Lower purchase price ($3.99 or less)
- Graphing and graphics capabilities
- Loop structure (other than recursion)
- Overlay for logic and decision making flow chart shapes
- Link logic operators to number flow
- Undo feature
- Random number generator function
- Loop structure
- Better handling of labeling and grouped items
- Standard iOS interface elements
- Undo/Redo functionality
- Centering
- Cut/paste formula
- Colors
- Search and save functionality
- Fade background faster
- Audio feedback option (beep-boop sounds)
- Statistical functions
- Ability to use array of numbers from spreadsheet or data table
- Scrollbars for canvas navigation
- Labels for boxes
- Separation in box between references and numbers
- Ability to move a box after placement
- Visual sign of connections (lines)
- More functions
- Zoom functionality
- Scrollbars
- Labels for boxes
- Separation in box between references and numbers
- Ability to move a box once it's down
- Visual sign of connections like lines
- More functions
- Save calculations and functions
- Improve UI slickness and polish
- Remove help demo after first use
- Add cues and clues for using the interface
- Use standard iOS interface
- Add simple titles or tips for objects
- Guidance on aether list usage
- Create own objects and make calculations based on them
- Improve stability and error handling/recovery
- Improve documentation
- Add strings, constants, and units
- Fix landscape mode orientation issue
- Add Undo/Redo
- Add centering
- Add cut/paste formula
- Add colors
- Add search and save
- Fade background faster
- Audio feedback option
- Statistical functions
- Ability to use array of numbers from spreadsheet or data table
- Zoom functionality
- Scrollbars
- Labels for boxes
- Separation in box between references and numbers
- Ability to move a box once it's down
- Visual sign of connections like lines
- More functions
- Save calculations and functions
- Improve UI slickness and polish
- Remove help demo after first use
- Add cues and clues for using the interface
- Use standard iOS interface
- Add simple titles or tips for objects
- Guidance on aether list usage
- Create own objects and make calculations based on them
- Improve stability and error handling/recovery
- Improve documentation
- Add strings, constants, and units
- Fix landscape mode orientation issue

## Newest reviews (14 of 68)

### 3/5 — Mac app not at all clear

*2023-01-03, version 3.0.3*

The web tutorial only really describes the iOS (iPad) app. The Mac version is different and if you follow the tutorial, bad things happen. Most notably it refers to "hit the '=' key" often but does not mean your physical mac keyboard. Hitting that bizzarely inserts two equal signs in the bubble.

### 3/5 — Great Potential, but a Very Poor Marketing Approach.

*2020-12-31*

I have oovium classic on my iphone, but the paid version is too expensive, as well as too limited in accessibility to afford. I WISH there was a pay-once option, (not sure if I know enough to say this, but $30 a year from each user is quite excessive, and presumably why the app has only 17 reviews for the 4+ years it (the paid app) has been on the app store.) 

If you made the app into a one-time purchase worth at least no more than $10, but ideally $3.99 or less, then you would have exponentially more purchasers that would (likely) result in well-over 20x your current earning rate. Then, if necessary, raise the purchase price for new buyers by maybe a dollar or two, once Oovium has gathered a wide-spread reputation, and earn even more. You could possibly obtain donation money as well from strongly-supportive clients.

The only applications that can somewhat-justifiably get away with $30+ yearly subscriptions, are name-brand tools like adobe photoshop, Microsoft Office, etc.

However, the most painful thing to see is that Oovium is Apple-exclusive. No one is going to be able to save Oovium if someone creates an open-source donation-based alternative with wider cross-platform availability.

### 4/5 — Almost Great

*2017-02-28*

I love the idea of this app.  I could be extremely useful and even game changing.  I just wish it would work with my Logitech keyboard. I wish it had a manual or a help file or even pop up labels for its icons.  I wish it had a loop structure other than recursion.  I wish it had graphing and graphics capabilities. Other than that it is so compelling I can't stop playing with it.

### 4/5 — Oovium is ALIVE!!!

*2015-03-08*

Guys,
This app is great. It has use possibilities that haven't even been realized yet. I gave it 4 stars instead 5 because of where it is now as opposed to its destination. This app is in its infancy stages and between its developer and the end users, this can grow to something universally useful for everyone.

I needed to utilize support recently and the response was excellent. The developer is also invested in its success. The company is small but diligent. I have been told by the developer that a new iteration of Oovium is being worked from the ground up and taking what is possible now and expanding its possibilities even more.
Keep the faith Oovites

### 4/5 — Awesome app.

*2014-04-29, version 1.1.4*

I've looked at lots if mind mapping apps out there and this one stands out. For those who want smart thinking apps that can do more than draw pretty lines get this.

### 3/5 — Great start

*2012-10-30, version 1.1.3.2*

I love the possibilities of This app but I think they have a long way to go. It is not as intuitive as I would like but then again I have only had it for a week and I am still getting used to it. Some of the features are really brilliant so I am definitely going to stay with it and I look forward to it developing into a really brilliant app.

### 5/5 — Good & Creative with great potential

*2012-10-05*

This app is terrific. Unique and creative.   It allows you to work with values and the relationships between values in a visual freeform way.  Think spreadsheet with free floating cells unanchored from a grid. This will not be an app for everyone, it is a matter of taste in how you think.  I love spreadsheets and this app does not replace 'em. But this is the only app I can turn to that works in the way my mind needs to for some types of problems. So when I do use it, I love it and I support it with 5 stars. An app that I fully appreciate having. 
--------
Very nice app. Very creative. Think mind mapping for calculations.

Looking forward to future versions to realize it's fuller potential.

### 4/5 — The BEST calculator app I've had the pleasure to experience.

*2012-09-08, version 1.1.3.1*

The only reason the I refrained giving this app 5 stars is that the 5th star is reserved for when the app has graphing capabilities. I love this app. I can't say enough about it. I'm able to do proof of concept calculations on the fly and keep a meeting moving forward. Mapping and calculations on the same screen. That puts a big smile on my face. :-D

Keep up the great work,

Paul Moyers
Designer, Healthcare environments

### 5/5 — Great Update!

*2012-07-25, version 1.1.3*

This app just keeps getting better

### 5/5 — Great tool!

*2012-07-20*

This is a great tool. Sort of a combination mind mapping, spreadsheet, functions, logic, calculator in one. There's a lot of activity from the development team. It's definitely worth the money. As they continue improve the product the applications seem endless. Thanks guys, keep it up!

### 4/5 — Its a great ap

*2012-06-09, version 1.1.2.4*

Very unique approach to working with numbers.  Has some minor stability problems but I really like working with it.  The developer seems to be working hard to correct the bugs.

### 2/5 — Odd, unwieldy interface prevents real use

*2012-06-05*

I get that the developer doesn't like the standard iOS interface, but the new interface acts peculiar and you are left guessing how to do things. 
Delete an Aether? Change the Aether settings? Rename an Aether? Drop the number box thing out of your way? Undo? Change the default black background to something else? I don't have any cues or clues for how to do these things in the new interface. The iOS interface may not suit everyone's tastes, but at least it's obvious how to delete/rename/hide/scroll...

The little in-app tutorial is good, but only limited to how to make bubbles. The help on anchoring is fine, but where are the rest of the help files?

Video-based information is useless for people that can't view videos on websites (many places have this locked down!)

Unless cues and clues for using the interface are added or the developer uses the iOS interface, the app's interface prevents many of the possibilities/features from actually being used, so they might as well not even be there. I hope this is fixed very soon.

### 5/5 — Perfect for mind mapping product pricing

*2012-06-03, version 1.1.2.4*

I watched all the tutorial videos at he oovium web site, before taking the plunge to buy oovium. If you love mindmapping or if you don't and you need a mini spreadsheet with a nifty way to calculate then oovium is for you. I cn create mini sheets (grids) that link to other calculating cells an all spruced up with some mini mind maps - all on the same page (aether). It's also great as a quick what if when presenting to clients too. 

Plus the author response is very quick. And he's very approachable. Give it a go.

### 5/5 — More than an app - a work of art

*2012-06-02, version 1.1.2.4*

Five stars for the conceptual leap alone. Would benefit from more comprehensive documentation. Makes the iPhone interesting at last. That Walter Smith thinks highly of it says it all.

Did I mention it's also highly useful?

Keep it up!

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — I paid for a subscription but I can’t use the app

*2021-04-27, version 2.0.2*

Subscription is paid but you wont let me use the app. Please return my money.

### 1/5 — Disappointed

*2020-07-24, version 2.0*

Crashes on launch on iPad. Used platform this to tell developers. Support via Reddit?

### 1/5 — No recent updates, has lost functionality

*2017-03-19, version 1.1.4*

This app hasn't been updated in a long time. It hasn't kept up to date with iOS changes and hence no longer works as advertised.  For example links to Dropbox no longer work.  A great pity because it was an excellent app.

### 1/5 — 2x2Wolf

*2012-12-31, version 1.1.3.3*

Update.....

    UPDATE killed everything. Crashes on first screen 

boom...Gone.

This is an honest app. Does what it says. My wish list would start with allowing an "overlay" for lack of a better word, of logic and decision making flow chart style shapes. This could go one step further and link with logic operators to the number flow on the math layer. In my mind I can fill a filling cabinet with situations that could make use of that type of math and decision forecasting. Go for it folks bet you can't stop with just one...

### 1/5 — Worst App I Ever Purchased

*2012-09-23, version 1.1.3.1*

This app is a waste of time and money.  It is horrrrrrrrrible.

### 1/5 — Shows promise, but too cute for its own good if they don't improve it

*2012-03-25*

I like this app, in theory.  I really like new UI concepts.  But, the authors are almost too cute with it here- it needs work.  Not much is obvious and the help is *very* thin.  You have to go to their website to get complete help- something you can't do with a WiFi iPad outside of coverage.  It would be better to have the help self-contained.

Overall, it is clever.  But it also crashes very frequently, and I've given up using it because I can't get an aether saved.  Once the app exits, it's gone- it's not there if I come back a few days later.  I've redone the same calculations 3 times now.  I'll have to go back to Excel until a better version of this comes out.

So, yes, they rethought the UI, but to the point that NOTHING is obvious.  I appreciate the aether concept and floating cells, really I do.  I love mind maps and this is the mind map of math.  Just they need to be more reliable around saving and managing multiple ethers.  But sometimes do you really have to reinvent every last shred of UI concept- even the ones that are good already?

Update: Oovium updated yesterday claiming to fix numerous crashing bugs. I quit using it before since it crashed and lost my data before I could even save it. Now, it crashes at launch. Launch, crash, launch, crash. The splash screen is up for just a fraction of a second. I have iPad 2 with the latest OS updates. I power cycled it just to make sure to clear out the memory, to no avail. Launch, crash...  I'm not sure what type of QA these folks do or what design methodology they use. The app has been useless to me from the start, despite my hopeful optimism for its outside the box design. Sorry...

### 1/5 — crashes on start. unusable

*2011-04-25, version 1.1.1*

crashes on start
ipod touch 2nd Gen, iOS 4.2.1

### 1/5 — Good idea but not ready for prime-time

*2010-09-11, version 0*

No statistical functions, too difficult to move and link bubbles, help documentation is basically nonexistent, and no ability to use an array of numbers from a spreadsheet or data table. This is a great idea for an app, but I believe I have just wasted my money. This isn't ready for purchase just yet.

### 1/5 — Oovium

*2010-06-10, version 0*

its prbbly a great app but the "help" icon does not really Help! no explanation or details as to how to work this app. App/developer site has vague explanation of this app. & yes i prbbly should not have dowloaded it! I wish i could take my .99 to purchase a much more reasonable & helpful app.

### 2/5 — Tedium

*2012-08-22, version 1.1.3.1*

Crashes regularly and feels like a work in progress. Lot's of work required for this to be a serious app. Disappointed as the concept has potential but the implementation is not intuitive enough and on screen instructions are clunky. Why not just a series of screenshots and text as help rather than the on screen hints which don't even rotate with the screen orientation.

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — outstanding concept but pitiful documentation

*2023-06-20*

Even 11 years old and I’m still a huge fan of this and sadly the programmer is not contactable. i’m only writing this because I see that the subscription is not automatically renewed.I get the feeling this is an abandoned project now which is sad because it is really very cool it just needs some better terminology and vastly better documentation. If you Google hard enough you might find some Vimeo videos which are really bad showing you how to use it but otherwise be prepared to spend a lot of time with trial and error.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback.  Subscriptions have been removed.  The app is now entirely free; no need to renew the subscription.

You can contact me via the website (aepryus.com) or head to the discord server.  From iOS you can find the discord server from the red dot menu: Help/Links/Discord; from macOS you can use the top menu: Links/Discord.

I’ll be happy to answer any and all questions you may have; I look forward to hearing from you!

### 5/5 — Just amazing

*2017-03-18, version 1.1.4*

👍 just amazing

### 5/5 — Really useful app

*2015-08-02, version 1.1.4*

This app allows me to prototype engineering design genetic algorithm and genetic programming models before I launch into coding. Great for visually analyzing a single example output to debug the logic. Very useful and handy since my iPad mini is quick and available.

### 5/5 — Creative way to work with numbers

*2013-12-21, version 1.1.4*

I work extensively with data migrations and business intelligence and this app helps me figure out what is going on.  

My go-to calculator for investments and all scratch pad math as well.

### 5/5 — Fascinating App!

*2013-09-02, version 1.1.4*

I hope this app continues to get traction.  Seems very solid as a work in progress.  It is a useful productivity app that draws me in like a game app.

### 5/5 — I support alternate thinking!

*2013-08-13*

Being geekish and proactive I bought this to help keep it alive. I really enjoy all of it. I was surprised when I finally got a MAC so I could see it, that I would have to buy a $30 version. Perhaps you could have a sale?

### 5/5 — A great math tool

*2013-04-06*

In a short time, I have found this app to be a must-have math tool when I need to do spreadsheet-like calculations fast; when I need to program a quick formula to do repetitive calculations; when I need to save math doodling that I usually do on scrape paper, but can now do with this tool and retain the calculations to redo with new figures.  It is a new way in doing certain things that I have done before with other programmable calculators and spreadsheets, but can now do using a creative concept where you control the the math tool to the way you think.  It makes the old ways of doing math a little more fun in the process.

### 5/5 — A game changer for...

*2013-02-08*

modeling ideas; gets real close to  merging the qualitative and quantitative discovery process, which of course is the dream machine of all time, like SAS accepting prose verbal input. So, you guys have introduced this new and cool app, time will tell how solid your long term plan is, and your commitment to it. Now comes the fun part.

### 5/5 — Works like my brain

*2012-12-03*

As a mind or concept mapping tool, Oovium is unsurpassed. Most other apps of this kind make you think like the app...Oovium allows me to make a map reflecting the way I think. For specific tasks the flexibility of this app makes it possible to approach diverse problems in the optimal manner, differently from one to the next. In combination with these attributes, the addition of mathematical elements have proven invaluable in modeling a mechanical system. I first map out the general structure of a machine, then I use the numerical functions to flesh out the model. In gear ratios for example, I can enter constant values and immediately see the effect of changing one or more variables in the system.

### 5/5 — Something new

*2012-10-17*

It's a wonderful idea and way of working. 
It's not the solution to everything, but sometimes this presents itself as the easiest way to visualize a problem and easily let's you explore alternate solutions or iterations. 
Documentation and examples could use some work  - but that task never ends and this way you get more play time.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-14.*