Comparison

PlaceRack vs Idea Vault

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

Head to head
About

PlaceRack

Features
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Every so often, one finds it hard to recall a specific place they visited and the associated experience. It was one such time that led to the origin of the PlaceRack app; a convenient way to capture, catalog, recall and recommend. PlaceRack is an app to remember. It allows you to capture a memorable event, a dining experience or anything worth noting. You can add images, audio or text to your capture session. At a later time, you easily recall this event by performing a simple search and scrolling a list of possible choices. You can share any of your experiences with friends, and on social media; also you can receive recommendations from your friends. At the capture session, the app provides Yelp scores and recommendations from your friends.

About

Idea Vault

A secure and intuitive application for capturing, organizing, and protecting your thoughts and ideas. Features rich text editing, powerful search, and cross-device synchronization. Keep your inspiration safe and accessible.

Highlights
  • Rich text editing
  • Distraction-free interface
  • Organize with tags, colors, moods, locations
  • Powerful instant search
  • On-device AES encryption
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Light and Dark Mode
Features
Read full description

Idea Vault is a clean, distraction free space to capture ideas the moment they strike and organize them your way. WRITE FREELY A minimal editor with real formatting: bold, italic, underline, headings, and bullet lists — plus undo and redo, so you can write without worrying about a mistake. Start faster with built in templates for meeting notes, journal entries, and to do lists, or begin from a blank page. STAY ORGANIZED Tag notes, add a mood, drop a location, and color code anything that matters. Search finds what you need instantly — by title, body, tag, mood, or location — and quick filter chips jump you straight to favorites, encrypted notes, or any tag. Sort however you think: newest first, oldest first, alphabetical, or favorites first. YOUR NOTES, PROTECTED Lock individual notes with on device AES 256 encryption, or encrypt everything at once. Protect the whole vault with Face ID or your device passcode. Nothing leaves your device unless you choose to share it. SHARE ON YOUR TERMS Export any note as rich text or plain text and send it wherever you need it, or back up your entire vault at once from Settings. STAY ON TRACK Turn on a daily reminder so a good idea never slips away. Idea Vault is free to use, with optional ads you can remove forever with a single one time purchase. No subscriptions, no accounts, no clutter. Just a fast, private place for your best ideas.

Screenshots

PlaceRack4 screens
Idea Vault4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PlaceRack at none against Idea Vault's shown. PlaceRack also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Idea Vault's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 12 months). On price, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. PlaceRack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Idea Vault sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlaceRack ships an update every 12 months, Idea Vault every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
PlaceRack versus Idea Vault: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlaceRackIdea Vault
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBreakpoint Software IncKevin Struna

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PlaceRack

One-time1
  • Standard$6.99
1 purchases

Idea Vault

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is PlaceRack free?
PlaceRack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Idea Vault free?
Idea Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PlaceRack or Idea Vault have ads?
Idea Vault shows ads; PlaceRack does not.
Which is updated more often, PlaceRack or Idea Vault?
PlaceRack ships an update every 12 months, and Idea Vault every 5 weeks. Most recently, PlaceRack was updated on October 2, 2026 and Idea Vault on October 4, 2026.

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