# Gathered vs DarkRef

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Gathered | DarkRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gathered-design-inspiration/id1302737642/reviews)** | [2.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darkref-art-reference-board/id6757864307/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **47.1% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 11 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nikola Kirev](https://appshunter.io/developer/418759284) | [Timothy Patrick Dommett](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869353422) |

## What reviewers say

### Gathered

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gathered-design-inspiration/id1302737642)

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:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gathered Pro | $24.99 | one-time |


### DarkRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darkref-art-reference-board/id6757864307)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sync Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Sync Annual | $9.99 | per year |


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