Comparison

Gathered vs DarkRef

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

Head to head
About

Gathered

This app helps you curate a digital library of inspiring images for your creative projects. Easily collect visuals from photos, your camera roll, or other apps, and organize them into custom collections with notes and color palettes. Sync your library across devices via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Collect images from various sources
  • Organize into custom collections
  • Extract color palettes
  • Add notes and edit image details
  • Sync across devices with iCloud
  • Drag & Drop functionality
Features
Read full description

Gathered is a calm, beautiful home for the images, screenshots and links you want to keep. Collect what inspires you and organize it your way — into collections, with notes, tags, colors and locations. Everything syncs automatically across iPhone, iPad and Mac with iCloud. • Collections — group images and links however you like • Smart Filters — instantly browse Recents, Places, Screenshots, 3D Models and more • Rich metadata — color palettes, locations on a map, notes and tags • Links — save webpages alongside your images • Share Card — turn any image into a stylish card with its colour palette and location • Quick import — Share Extension, drag & drop, camera, scanner and paste • Home Screen widget — a daily dose of inspiration from your library • Private by design — your library lives in your own iCloud, with no account required

About

DarkRef

Organize your visual inspiration with images, GIFs, and notes. This app offers a free, intuitive platform for artists to manage references across all devices, with optional cloud sync for seamless backup and access.

Highlights
  • Unlimited boards and images
  • Image and GIF support
  • Notes and annotations
  • Folder organization
  • Offline access
  • Cross-device sync
Features
Read full description

Your own library of art references, organised and on all your devices. DarkRef is a powerful reference board designed for digital artists. Organize your inspiration with images, GIFs, notes, videos and folders; all in one beautiful, minimalist library and use canvases to plan your next big artwork. 100% FREE TO USE All core features are completely free including your reference library, automatic image tagging, canvases and more. Create unlimited boards, add unlimited images and GIFs, take notes, and organize with folders. The only features requiring a paid plan are for syncing your files across devices and for live collaboration boards where you can work with your team together on a shared board. All the core features are completely free. WORKS OFFLINE All your references are stored locally on your device. Work anywhere, even without internet. With a DarkRef paid plan, your changes sync automatically when you're back online. WHY DARKREF? Unlike other reference board apps, DarkRef truly works everywhere. Whether you're sketching on your iPad at a coffee shop, at the office on your Mac or working at home, your references are always with you. Perfect for: • Digital artists and illustrators • Concept artists • Character designers • Environment artists • Animators • Game artists • Anyone who needs organized visual references Download DarkRef for free today and never lose track of your inspiration again.

Screenshots

Gathered4 screens
DarkRef3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Gathered at 3.9 against DarkRef's 2.8. Gathered also leads on review sentiment (47% vs 25%) and ratings volume (17 vs 4). DarkRef's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Gathered sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and DarkRef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Gathered holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Gathered's written reviews are positive against 25% of DarkRef's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gathered ships an update monthly, DarkRef every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Gathered versus DarkRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGatheredDarkRef
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (17 ratings) — better2.8 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews47.1% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better4
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision ProiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNikola KirevTimothy Patrick Dommett

Customer experience

Gathered

All ratings17 ratings
Positive70.6%
Neutral11.8%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral29.4%
Negative23.5%

DarkRef

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Gathered

One-time1
  • Gathered Pro$24.99
2 purchases

DarkRef

Subscriptions2
  • Sync Monthly1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • Sync Annual$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Gathered free?
Gathered is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DarkRef free?
DarkRef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Gathered or DarkRef?
Gathered is rated higher. Gathered averages 3.9 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while DarkRef averages 2.8 from 4 ratings.
Do Gathered or DarkRef have ads?
Neither Gathered nor DarkRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gathered or DarkRef?
Gathered ships an update monthly, and DarkRef every 3 weeks. Most recently, Gathered was updated on November 4, 2026 and DarkRef on October 24, 2026.

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