# SAMsnap vs Allume

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SAMsnap at 100% against Allume's 64%. SAMsnap also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Allume's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (340 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Allume sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SAMsnap asks for nothing beyond the download.

SAMsnap holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Allume has 340 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of SAMsnap's written reviews are positive against 64% of Allume's.

SAMsnap ships an update every 7 months, Allume every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SAMsnap | Allume |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samsnap/id1179120809/reviews)** | [4.6 (340 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/allume-for-focused-thinking/id1501563902/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **340** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 64.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [County of Los Angeles - Department of Public Works](https://appshunter.io/developer/437707158) | [Milestone Made, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476538400) |

## What reviewers say

### SAMsnap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samsnap/id1179120809)

This app allows field survey teams to scan barcodes of recorded equipment as part of a strategic asset management and capital planning workflow. It streamlines data collection for asset management processes.

**Highlights:** Barcode scanning for equipment, Field data collection, Asset management workflow integration, Capital planning support, Strategic asset management

**In-app purchases:** none


### Allume

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/allume-for-focused-thinking/id1501563902)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited membership, monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro membership, monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited membership, yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro membership, yearly | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Organize ideas and information
- 🚀 Unique and very cool features
- 👍 Indispensable app - incredibly well designed
- 👍 Great thinking and creative tool
- 👍 Exceptional app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Too expensive subscription price
- 🔒 Lack of privacy of user data
- 🔒 Requires email to try
- 🐛 Bugs are prevalent
- 🔒 Outrageous pricing

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- More pen color and workspace options
- Zoom in/out within a board
- Search functionality
- Checklists
- Support for pen tablets on Mac


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SAMsnap free?

SAMsnap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Allume free?

Allume is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SAMsnap or Allume?

SAMsnap is rated higher. SAMsnap averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Allume averages 4.6 from 340 ratings.

### Do SAMsnap or Allume have ads?

Neither SAMsnap nor Allume shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SAMsnap or Allume?

SAMsnap ships an update every 7 months, and Allume every 2 weeks. Most recently, SAMsnap was updated on November 2, 2026 and Allume on November 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*