Comparison

Allume vs Ro

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

Head to head
About

Allume

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
Read full description

Allume (formerly Muse) is a canvas for thinking that helps you get clarity on things that matter. Think in private or collaborate with others. BEYOND WHITEBOARDS with nested boards Each Muse board is like a whiteboard that can hold even more whiteboards. Your boards grow organically over time as you develop an idea. Stay in the ideation flow, worry about organizing later. REFERENCE & REMIX with linked cards & excerpts Linked cards let you reference boards from multiple places. And excerpts let you remix parts of PDFs and images without losing the context of the source. Grow your Muse into a space of interconnected whiteboards. ONE CANVAS FOR ANYTHING with ink + text + cards Developing an idea starts with collecting inspiration and stray thoughts. Muse lets you put everything on a single canvas: writing, scribbles, notes, images, videos, PDFs, web links, and any other files. Lay out all the raw materials, then connect the dots with ease. COLLABORATION with shared workspaces Add collaborators to a Muse workspace to plan and strategize together. They'll feel right at home with live cursors, comments, following, and templates. AND PLENTY MORE → Search and quick-jump to boards → Read and annotate PDFs → Create connections between cards → Export boards as PDFs or PNGs → Local-first data with instant sync LEARN MORE Website: https://allume.com/ Community: https://allume.com/community Contact us: hello@allume.com Terms of service: https://allume.com/terms

About

Ro

This focus timer uses the Pomodoro Technique to break work into focused sessions with short breaks. It offers customizable timers, ambient sounds, and detailed stats to help users stay sharp and avoid burnout. Live Activity and Dynamic Island integration keep your countdown visible.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro Technique timer
  • Customizable work/break durations
  • Ambient soundscapes
  • Live Activity & Dynamic Island integration
  • Detailed focus stats
  • Background notifications
Features
Read full description

炉 Ro is a focus timer built for people who take their time seriously. Based on the Pomodoro Technique, Ro breaks your work into focused sessions separated by short breaks — helping you stay sharp, avoid burnout, and actually finish what you start. FOCUS WITHOUT FRICTION Start a session and get to work. Ro handles the rest — automatically starting breaks, tracking your time, and keeping you in flow. LIVE ACTIVITY & DYNAMIC ISLAND Your countdown lives on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island. Glance and get back to work. AMBIENT SOUND Rain, café, or fire — choose a sound to block out the world and stay locked in. STATS THAT MEAN SOMETHING See your weekly sessions, total focus time, best day, and current streak. Every minute counts — even partial sessions are tracked. FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE Set your own work and break durations. Choose how many sessions before a long break. Auto-start breaks or step away on your own terms. NOTIFICATIONS Get notified the moment a session ends — even when the app is in the background. Ro is designed with a cinematic dark aesthetic inspired by forge light and darkroom photography. No ads. No subscriptions. No noise. Just work.

Screenshots

Allume3 screens
Ro2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Allume at Free against Ro's $0.99. Allume also leads on ratings volume (332 vs 3) and device support (4 vs 2). Ro's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). On update cadence and ads 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

Allume is free to download; Ro costs $0.99 up front. Allume sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Ro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Allume has 332 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Allume's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Allume ships an update every 2 weeks, Ro every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Allume versus Ro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAllumeRo
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.6 (332 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings332 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size100 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMilestone Made, LLCZachary Foerst

Customer experience

Allume

All ratings332 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews267 reviews
Positive64.4%
Neutral10.1%
Negative25.5%

Ro

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Allume

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Freezing and performance issues

Requested features

7 requests
  • More pen color and workspace options
  • Zoom in/out within a board
  • Search functionality
  • Checklists
  • Support for pen tablets on Mac
Show 2 more
  • Straight line drawing with arrowheads
  • Monthly payment plan

Ro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Allume

Subscriptions4
  • Unlimited membership, monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro membership, monthly$9.991 Month
  • Unlimited membership, yearly$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro membership, yearly$99.991 Year
None

Ro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Allume free?
Allume is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ro free?
Ro costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Allume or Ro?
Ro is rated higher. Allume averages 4.6 out of 5 from 332 ratings, while Ro averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Allume or Ro have ads?
Neither Allume nor Ro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Allume or Ro?
Allume ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ro every 3 weeks. Most recently, Allume was updated on October 9, 2026 and Ro on October 3, 2026.

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