Comparison

Are.na vs NOVA

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

Head to head
About

Are.na

A distraction-free platform for creative individuals to save, organize, and connect ideas. Share content like links, videos, and images into collections, and collaborate on projects privately or publicly with a thoughtful community.

Highlights
  • Save any content into collections
  • Organize links, videos, images, texts
  • Distraction-free space
  • Share ideas and collaborate
  • Private or public collaboration
  • Thoughtful community
Features
Read full description

Since 2011, Are.na has been the platform of choice for creative researchers, designers, artists, academics, and rabbit-hole enthusiasts. Completely independent, free from ads, algorithms, and unhealthy business practices, Are.na is a calm, thoughtful space for you to connect your ideas and build new ones. - Save any kind of content into collections. - Organize links, videos, images, and texts in a clean, distraction-free space. - Share ideas and collaborate on projects with anyone, anywhere. - Invite friends to work together privately or in public. - Tap into a thoughtful community where curiosity is valued. - Break out of your filter bubble. Are.na is powered by people, not ads.

About

NOVA

This platform connects creative professionals with clients seeking talent. It allows artists to build their network, showcase their work, and find job opportunities. Clients can discover and hire top freelance creative talent.

Highlights
  • Build creative network
  • Display artwork
  • Access job opportunities
  • Hire freelance talent
  • Application-based platform
  • Community guidelines
Features
Read full description

NOVA is the curated freelancer platform for the next generation of creatives. Our mission is to provide Network, Opportunity, and Visibility to Artists. For creatives, NOVA is a first-of-its-kind multi application platform for artists to build their network, display their work, and easily access job opportunities. For clients, NOVA is the next evolution of creative hiring, providing a direct link to top freelance creative talent. _ At NOVA, our priority is community, which is why we are an application-based platform. Prospective members should download the mobile app here and submit an application. As a creative, we'll ask you to include information like skills and past project work. As a client, we'll ask you to include your company name and job title. Once you've submitted an application, it will be placed into the queue to be reviewed by our board of creatives and internal team. You could receive your acceptance at any time, so keep your push notifications on! Once admitted, creatives and clients will have full-access to the platform. Users must continuously abide by our community guidelines of integrity, professionalism, and privacy. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Are.na4 screens
NOVA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Are.na at 4.9 against NOVA's 4.3. Are.na also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (52% vs 37%). NOVA's advantage is chart position (#163 vs unranked) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 359). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. NOVA sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Are.na asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Are.na holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 359 and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Are.na's written reviews are positive against 37% of NOVA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Are.na ships an update every 2 weeks, NOVA monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Are.na versus NOVA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAre.naNOVA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (359 ratings) — better4.3 (1.2K ratings)
Positive reviews52.1% of reviews — better36.8% of reviews
Number of ratings3591.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank—#163 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB170 MB
Age rating17++12
DeveloperWhen It Changed Inc.Nova Network Inc.

Customer experience

Are.na

All ratings359 ratings
Positive98.9%
Neutral0.6%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews194 reviews
Positive52.1%
Neutral19.1%
Negative28.9%

NOVA

All ratings1,182 ratings
Positive83.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews201 reviews
Positive36.8%
Neutral3.5%
Negative59.7%

User reviews

Are.na

From 359 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and clean
  • 👍 Minimalist and accessible
  • 🖤 Great community and content
  • 🖤 Inspiring and creative
  • 🖤 Organically curated experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🐛 Laggy performance
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🐛 Unintuitive navigation
  • 🐛 Limited functionality compared to website

NOVA

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💫 Best apps for creatives hands down!
  • 🌟 Game changing for creatives
  • 🎨 Wonderful!
  • 🤝 Probably the best way for creatives to connect
  • 🎨 Excellent Platform

Room to improve

  • 🤷‍♀️ No support
  • 🤦‍♂️ Not looking out for the little guy
  • 🔒 Can't get in
  • 🤯 Ummm
  • 🐛 App Crashes Too Often

Bugs and requests

Are.na

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to login or sign up
  • Blocks not loading or duplicating
  • App crashing when viewing GIFs/animations
  • Inconsistent behavior across iOS versions
  • Navigation issues due to 'Dynamic Island'

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to sort channels by connections
  • Landscape mode support on iPad
  • Password reset functionality
  • Multiple image/video uploads
  • Improved channel management

NOVA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes
  • Freezing
  • Buggy application process

Requested features

4 requests
  • Web Access
  • Saved filter settings
  • Notifications
  • Profile customization

In-app purchases

None

Are.na

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

NOVA

Subscriptions2
  • Nova Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Nova Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Nova Pro (Day Pass)$3.99

Questions

Is Are.na free?
Are.na is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NOVA free?
NOVA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Are.na or NOVA?
Are.na is rated higher. Are.na averages 4.9 out of 5 from 359 ratings, while NOVA averages 4.3 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Are.na or NOVA have ads?
Neither Are.na nor NOVA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Are.na or NOVA?
Are.na ships an update every 2 weeks, and NOVA monthly. Most recently, Are.na was updated on November 6, 2026 and NOVA on November 7, 2026.

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