Comparison

Ikes vs PILE

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

Head to head
About

Ikes

Capture and organize text or image ideas with a dynamic feed. Intelligent search and discovery help you find inspiration and make unexpected connections. Syncs seamlessly across devices and prioritizes your privacy.

Highlights
  • Quick capture for text and images
  • Dynamic Idea Feed for discovery
  • Tag, source, and color organization
  • Intelligent search by meaning
  • Automatic idea discovery
  • Shuffle for serendipity
  • iCloud sync across devices
Read full description

Ikes is not your ordinary note app. It's built for capturing ideas and finding them again — fast. Got an idea? Read a great quote? Snapped a page from a book? Just throw it all into Ikes. Text, images, and links drop into a single feed, and you add tags, sources, and sparkles to whatever matters. Later, filters and search bring anything back in seconds. Now with a new unified export: send your whole library — or just the ideas matching your current filter — out as TXT, CSV, TSV, JSON, or YAML. JSON and YAML are designed for AI and RAG workflows, ready to drop straight into your pipeline. - Save text, images, and links instantly, with tags, sources, and sparkles. - Works inside Safari, X/Twitter, book readers, and other apps via the share extension. - Filter bar, tag/source browsers, and full-text search surface what you need. - Shuffle and random idea views bring forgotten ideas back to the top. - iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac — included for free. - Place your favorite quotes on your Home Screen with widgets. [ Premium features ] - Intelligent Search — semantic search across your entire idea feed. - Intelligent Discovery — surface related ideas you had forgotten. - Unified Export to TXT / CSV / TSV / JSON / YAML (Export All or Export Filtered). - Text recognition (OCR) on captured images — perfect for reading physical books. - Filter which ideas appear in widgets. - Custom color schemes and app icons. [ Ikes at a glance ] - Free iCloud sync - Text, images, and links with tags, sources, and sparkles - Share extension for 3rd-party apps - Filter bar + tag cloud - Shuffle / random view - Home Screen widgets - Dark mode - Universal: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

About

PILE

Organize notes, photos, links, and files privately and securely using your iCloud Drive. Access your organized content across Mac, iPhone, and iPad with seamless syncing. Enjoy a distraction-free experience with no ads and customizable features.

Highlights
  • Private & Secure iCloud storage
  • Organized content retrieval
  • Flexible storage for various file types
  • Customizable tags and pinning
  • Seamless cross-device syncing
  • Distraction-free, ad-free experience
Read full description

The only private, beautiful way to organize everything. Seamlessly synced across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Keep your notes, bookmarks, files, images, inspiration, memories, articles, and documents safe and accessible with PILE. Key Features: - Private & Secure: All data is stored in your iCloud Drive—no third-party servers, no tracking, no AI. - Organized & Ready: Retrieve deleted items for up to 30 days with our bin system. - Flexible Storage: Save notes, links, photos, videos, and more from any device. - Customization: Unlock tags, pinned items, and visual customization with one simple subscription. Why PILE? - Your data stays yours—secure, private, and always in your control. - Maintain a distraction-free environment with no ads. - Effortless synchronization through iCloud ensures your content is available anytime, anywhere. Subscription: - One subscription unlocks all features, with discounts for students and yearly plans. Join PILE for a transparent, secure, and beautifully organized digital life. Subscription auto-renews until cancelled, more info in https://pile.ie/#terms

Screenshots

Ikes4 screens
PILE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ikes at 93% against PILE's 7%. Ikes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.6). PILE's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ratings volume, 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. Ikes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PILE sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ikes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31 and 24 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Ikes's written reviews are positive against 7% of PILE's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ikes ships an update every 2 weeks, PILE every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ikes versus PILE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIkesPILE
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (31 ratings) — better1.6 (24 ratings)
Positive reviews92.9% of reviews — better7.4% of reviews
Number of ratings31 — better24
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size284 MB48 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperINCREDIBLE FOX, Inc.Awesome Apps Company Ltd.

Customer experience

Ikes

All ratings31 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%

PILE

All ratings20 ratings
Positive10.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative90.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive7.4%
Neutral7.4%
Negative85.2%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ikes

One-time1
  • Ikes PREMIUM$9.99
5 purchases

PILE

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly for Students$2.991 Month
  • Monthly for Professionals$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Offer$12.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly - Offer$12.991 Year
  • Yearly for Everyone$22.991 Year

Questions

Is Ikes free?
Ikes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PILE free?
PILE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ikes or PILE?
Ikes is rated higher. Ikes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while PILE averages 1.6 from 24 ratings.
Do Ikes or PILE have ads?
Neither Ikes nor PILE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ikes or PILE?
Ikes ships an update every 2 weeks, and PILE every 3 days. Most recently, Ikes was updated on November 3, 2026 and PILE on November 4, 2026.

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