Map Note vs Allume
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Map Note
Organize your thoughts on an infinitely expanding canvas. This app is designed for non-linear thinking, allowing you to freely expand ideas radially for brainstorming and mind mapping.
- Infinitely expanding canvas
- Radial idea expansion
- Mind mapping
- Brainstorming
- Idea sketching
- Non-linear note-taking
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Using map notes, you can spread your ideas anywhere on an infinitely spread canvas. I think the brain's work when considering ideas is a random and radial working image rather than linear. Traditional notes that need to be written sequentially from left to right are not very suitable for this process. If you use this infinite size notebook application, you can freely expand ideas from the center of the page, so you can make ideas more natural. Ideal for creating rough mind maps, brainstorming and idea sketches. * Please check out MapNote 2 that can add images, add folders, and sync with iCloud.
Allume
This app provides a digital canvas for organizing thoughts and ideas. It allows users to create nested boards, link content, and combine various media types like text, images, and PDFs. Collaborate with others in real-time on shared workspaces.
- Nested boards for deep ideation
- Linked cards for referencing
- Remixing content from PDFs and images
- Unified canvas for text, ink, and files
- Real-time collaboration with shared workspaces
- PDF annotation and export
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Allume (formerly Muse) is a canvas for thinking that helps you get clarity on things that matter. Think in private or collaborate with others. BEYOND WHITEBOARDS with nested boards Each Muse board is like a whiteboard that can hold even more whiteboards. Your boards grow organically over time as you develop an idea. Stay in the ideation flow, worry about organizing later. REFERENCE & REMIX with linked cards & excerpts Linked cards let you reference boards from multiple places. And excerpts let you remix parts of PDFs and images without losing the context of the source. Grow your Muse into a space of interconnected whiteboards. ONE CANVAS FOR ANYTHING with ink + text + cards Developing an idea starts with collecting inspiration and stray thoughts. Muse lets you put everything on a single canvas: writing, scribbles, notes, images, videos, PDFs, web links, and any other files. Lay out all the raw materials, then connect the dots with ease. COLLABORATION with shared workspaces Add collaborators to a Muse workspace to plan and strategize together. They'll feel right at home with live cursors, comments, following, and templates. AND PLENTY MORE → Search and quick-jump to boards → Read and annotate PDFs → Create connections between cards → Export boards as PDFs or PNGs → Local-first data with instant sync LEARN MORE Website: https://allume.com/ Community: https://allume.com/community Contact us: hello@allume.com Terms of service: https://allume.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Allume at Free against Map Note's $2.99. Allume also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks) and review sentiment (64% vs 56%). Map Note's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Allume is free to download; Map Note costs $2.99 up front. Allume sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Map Note asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Map Note against 4.6 for Allume. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 69 and 332 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of Map Note's written reviews are positive against 64% of Allume's.
Map Note ships an update every 4 weeks, Allume every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 29, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Map Note | Allume |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (69 ratings) | 4.6 (332 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | 64.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 69 | 332 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Naoya Enokida | Milestone Made, LLC |
Customer experience
Map Note
Allume
Bugs and requests
Map Note
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Allume
Reported bugs
6 issues- Eraser size issues
- Undo history reset when navigating between boards
- Crashes when erasing large areas
- Syncing issues between devices
- iPhone app not usable without iPad or Mac
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- Freezing and performance issues
Requested features
7 requests- More pen color and workspace options
- Zoom in/out within a board
- Search functionality
- Checklists
- Support for pen tablets on Mac
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- Straight line drawing with arrowheads
- Monthly payment plan
In-app purchases
Map Note
No in-app purchases
Allume
- Unlimited membership, monthly$9.991 Month
- Pro membership, monthly$9.991 Month
- Unlimited membership, yearly$99.991 Year
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- Pro membership, yearly$99.991 Year









