Comparison

Map Note vs Allume

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Infinitely expanding canvas
  • Radial idea expansion
  • Mind mapping
  • Brainstorming
  • Idea sketching
  • Non-linear note-taking
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Map Note3 screens
Allume3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Map Note versus Allume: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMap NoteAllume
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (69 ratings)4.6 (332 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews64.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings69332 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNaoya EnokidaMilestone Made, LLC

Customer experience

Map Note

All ratings69 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral7.2%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral16.0%
Negative28.4%

Allume

All ratings332 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews267 reviews
Positive64.4%
Neutral10.1%
Negative25.5%

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
Show 1 more
  • 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
Show 2 more
  • Straight line drawing with arrowheads
  • Monthly payment plan

In-app purchases

None

Map Note

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Allume

Subscriptions4
  • Unlimited membership, monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro membership, monthly$9.991 Month
  • Unlimited membership, yearly$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro membership, yearly$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Map Note free?
Map Note costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Allume free?
Allume is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Map Note or Allume?
Allume is rated higher. Map Note averages 4.5 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Allume averages 4.6 from 332 ratings.
Do Map Note or Allume have ads?
Neither Map Note nor Allume shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Map Note or Allume?
Map Note ships an update every 4 weeks, and Allume every 2 weeks. Most recently, Map Note was updated on August 29, 2026 and Allume on September 29, 2026.

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