Allume vs Ro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
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.
- Pomodoro Technique timer
- Customizable work/break durations
- Ambient soundscapes
- Live Activity & Dynamic Island integration
- Detailed focus stats
- Background notifications
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Allume | Ro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (332 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 332 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 100 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Milestone Made, LLC | Zachary Foerst |
Customer experience
Allume
Ro
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
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- 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
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- Straight line drawing with arrowheads
- Monthly payment plan
Ro
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Allume
- Unlimited membership, monthly$9.991 Month
- Pro membership, monthly$9.991 Month
- Unlimited membership, yearly$99.991 Year
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- Pro membership, yearly$99.991 Year
Ro
No in-app purchases









