# Allume vs Ro

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Allume | Ro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (332 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/allume-for-focused-thinking/id1501563902/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ro-focus-timer/id6764583798/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **332** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 100 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Milestone Made, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476538400) | [Zachary Foerst](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456563707) |

## What reviewers say

### Allume

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/allume-for-focused-thinking/id1501563902)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited membership, monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro membership, monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited membership, yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro membership, yearly | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Organize ideas and information
- 🚀 Unique and very cool features
- 👍 Indispensable app - incredibly well designed
- 👍 Great thinking and creative tool
- 👍 Exceptional app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Too expensive subscription price
- 🔒 Lack of privacy of user data
- 🔒 Requires email to try
- 🐛 Bugs are prevalent
- 🔒 Outrageous pricing

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- More pen color and workspace options
- Zoom in/out within a board
- Search functionality
- Checklists
- Support for pen tablets on Mac


### Ro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ro-focus-timer/id6764583798)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


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