Comparison

Formbook vs Place That Thought

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

Head to head
About

Formbook

This app allows you to create structured notes that function like database forms, saving you time and providing instant chart statistics. It supports collaboration, cross-device synchronization, and AI-powered form building with numerous field types.

Highlights
  • Form-based note creation
  • Instant chart statistics
  • Notebook sharing for collaboration
  • AI-powered automated form builder
  • 30+ form field types
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Export to PDF and CSV
Features
Read full description

Formbook: the revolutionary personal database app. Formbook is a new generation database app in which you create form based notes to easily store information. Formbook is the perfect app for structured information note taking. With Formbook, notes behave like database forms: create a notebook and define the fields you need to store your information. Form based notes have amazing benefits: - Gain a huge amount of time while taking notes as you just need to fill in form fields. - Instantly obtain chart stats on the data contained in your notebooks. - Share notebooks for collaboration with other Formbook users. Here are some usage examples. Create notebooks to: - Keep track of your progress in sport training. - Remember your favorite restaurants in places you visit. - Store your recipes. - Follow to do tasks. - Prepare a trip by describing the places to visit. - Keep track of any object inventory (with barcode reader). Formbook comes with a powerful dashboard feature that visually displays charts on your data. Personalize your charts and analyse data in detail. Formbook is cross device: notes are automatically synchronized on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch via iCloud. Formbook is also available on your Apple Watch: access your notes and notebooks directly from you Apple Watch. Formbook is powered by AI: save time with the new automated form builder. Enter your notebook name and Formbook infers the database fields. Choose among 30 form field types when conceiving your notebook structure: - Short text field - Long text field - Secret text field revealed by FaceID or TouchID - Code text field (programming languages) - Number - Currency - Stepper (number) - Slider (number) - Calculation (using the data from other fields) - Yes/No button - Date and Time fields - Duration - Images and photos - List of elements (with optional checkboxes) - List of tags - Rating (with stars) - Email (with compose button) - Address (with map access) - Phone number (with compose button) - URL (with browse button) - Barcode and QR code (with scan button) - Current location (latitude, longitude, address) Export your notes as PDF file and CSV file to use the data with spreadsheet apps.

About

Place That Thought

Never forget a task again with persistent reminders that appear on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. This app uses emojis to help you remember, with optional voice input for creating new reminders.

Highlights
  • Lock Screen reminders
  • Dynamic Island integration
  • Emoji prompts
  • Voice-activated nudges (Pro)
  • Customizable nudge grid
  • Stats and streaks
  • Daily nudges and routines (Pro)
Features
Read full description

A note-to-self you can't miss. Think of it as a string around your finger for the things you keep forgetting: change the light bulb, make that call, pick up a new roll of… paper towels. Pick an emoji to jog your memory. Place That Thought puts it on your Lock Screen and in your Dynamic Island, so every glance at your phone reminds you until you do the thing. HOW IT WORKS • The app opens to a grid of your go-to nudges. One tap starts one. • Close the app. The nudge stays on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island until you're done. • Just in case, you'll get a notification two minutes later to help it stick. • When you're done, tap Done. No need to open the app again. NUDGE FROM ANYWHERE Start a nudge without opening the app, from a Lock Screen widget, Control Center, the Action Button or Siri. MAKE IT YOURS • Make your first nudge right away, then use Edit grid to swap the starter nudges for your own, with any emoji, even the weird ones. • Pick a theme to recolor the whole app. DAILY NUDGES Pick a nudge and a time, and it starts on its own every day. Free. STATS See how long your nudges take, plus any streaks. SAY IT (PRO) If a nudge isn't on your grid, say it out loud ("take the lasagna out of the oven") and the app picks the emoji and label for you. It works on every device, and Apple Intelligence makes the pick even better where it's available. PRO • All 9 grid slots. • Say It. • Every theme. • ROUTINES: Save a list of nudges, like your morning, and do them one after another. Schedule one to start at the same time every day. • UP NEXT: Start a new nudge without losing the current one. Pro is a one-time purchase. No subscription. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account and no ads. Your nudges stay on your device. A reminder app shouldn't need your email.

Screenshots

Formbook4 screens
Place That Thought4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Place That Thought at 5.0 against Formbook's 4.5. Formbook's advantage is ratings volume (32 vs 2) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, 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. Formbook sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Place That Thought sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Place That Thought holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Formbook has 32 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Formbook ships an update every 4 days, Place That Thought every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Formbook versus Place That Thought: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFormbookPlace That Thought
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (32 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings32 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMathieu MorgenszternUp One Story

Customer experience

Formbook

All ratings32 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews134 reviews
Positive79.9%
Neutral14.9%
Negative5.2%

Place That Thought

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Formbook

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Crashes on macOS Ventura and newer
  • Crashes when validating fields in new notes
  • Export functionality issues with CSV and PDF
  • Barcode field scans but cannot search by barcode
  • Star rating field too sensitive to accidental changes
Show 7 more
  • Performance degradation with photos in notes
  • Text field labels not visible in note panel
  • Syncing issues between devices
  • Import duplicates data instead of updating
  • Occasional freezing and slowness
  • Watch app syncing problems
  • In-app purchase requires repurchase after updates

Requested features

30 requests
  • Field-specific search functionality
  • Advanced multi-criteria filtering
  • Table/spreadsheet view for data
  • Password/biometric app protection
  • Rich text formatting (bold, italic, colors)
Show 25 more
  • File attachment support (PDFs, documents)
  • Drag-and-drop image insertion
  • Move notes between notebooks
  • Duplicate notebook without content
  • Advanced calculated fields with date math
  • Print functionality for records and lists
  • Customizable PDF export templates
  • Folder organization for notebooks
  • Read-only mode for records
  • Barcode scanning search capability
  • Calendar integration
  • Reminder/alert field with notifications
  • Multiple image support per field
  • Keyboard shortcuts/Shortcuts app integration
  • Collaborative sharing between users
  • Template creation for notebooks
  • Undo/backup functionality
  • Batch operations (edit, delete multiple)
  • Tag autocomplete with global tag list
  • Sub-tags support
  • Column/card view options
  • Adjustable font sizes
  • Home button for quick navigation
  • Bulk import with update option
  • Android version

Place That Thought

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Formbook

One-time2
  • Notebook sharing$3.99
  • Additional fields pack$3.99
1 purchases

Place That Thought

One-time1
  • Place That Though Pro: Lifetime$2.99

Questions

Is Formbook free?
Formbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Place That Thought free?
Place That Thought is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Formbook or Place That Thought?
Place That Thought is rated higher. Formbook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Place That Thought averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Formbook or Place That Thought have ads?
Neither Formbook nor Place That Thought shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Formbook or Place That Thought?
Formbook ships an update every 4 days, and Place That Thought every 5 days. Most recently, Formbook was updated on October 22, 2026 and Place That Thought on October 28, 2026.

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