Comparison

iBlueSky (mindmapping) vs Deer

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

Head to head
About

iBlueSky (mindmapping)

Capture, develop, and organize your best ideas with an elegant and intuitive mind mapping tool. Supports large page sizes, multiple export formats, and rich branch customization. Realize your full potential by bringing your thoughts to life.

Highlights
  • Huge page size
  • Import Freemind & OPML
  • Export PDF, PNG, OPML, Freemind, text
  • Link branches
  • Attach notes to branches
  • Edit branch colors
  • Cut, copy, paste branches
Features
Read full description

Elegant, intuitive & clutter-free mind mapping. Wherever inspiration strikes. Capture, develop and organize your best ideas. Realise your full potential with iBlueSky. Key Features: - Optimized for iPad Pro, iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch (only one purchase required to run with an optimized experience on all device types). - Huge page size - Easy import via the web in Freemind & OPML formats - Easy export via email in these formats: PDF, PNG (limited to 4000x4000 pixels), OPML outlining format, Freemind, plain text - Branches with more than one line of text - Link branches - Attach notes to branches (imported and exported in most external formats) - Edit branch colours with an easy-to-use color picker, option to apply color changes to sub-branches - Clipboard: cut, copy and paste branches - Scroll and zoom - standard pinch gesture - Double tap to zoom in and out - Auto-hiding toolbars

About

Deer

This app offers structured note-taking with features to reorder lines, convert notes to outlines, and generate mind maps. It helps organize complex information and newly learned knowledge points for clearer understanding.

Highlights
  • Freely reorder notes by line
  • One-click outline conversion
  • One-click mind map generation
  • Drag and drop paragraph reordering
  • Clearer structure visualization
Features
Read full description

Deer is a structured note-taking app. "Freely Reorder Notes" Beyond basic functions, each line in the note can be freely dragged and moved using keyboard shortcuts. You can quickly adjust the order of text in your note. “One-Click to Outline" For clearer organization of your note, you can convert them to an outline with one click. Editing text in the outline provides a clearer view of the structure. Drag and drop is also supported in outline mode, but you drag an entire paragraph. “One-Click to Mind Map" If you find the outline mode still not clear enough, you can convert it to a mind map with one click. In this ultimate mode, the disorganized information in your note becomes crystal clear. This will help you organize newly learned knowledge points or complex theoretical concepts. If you need support, or want to give your valuable suggestions, please let us know by email: todo-color@outlook.com If you choose the "subscription" purchase model, before subscribing, please know: • Monthly subscription users: Each subscription period is 1 month. • Annual subscription users: Each subscription period is 1 year. • In the "Deer" purchase window, the latest subscription price will be displayed in real time. After the payment is confirmed, or after the free trial period (if any) ends, the iTunes account will be debited. • The subscription is automatically renewed unless the auto-renewal feature is turned off 24 hours before the current subscription period. • The account will be deducted for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period, and the renewal amount is the same as the previous subscription amount. • The user can manage the subscription service by himself, and the automatic renewal service can be turned off in the user's account settings after purchase. terms of use: Please read the following terms carefully before using the "Unlocked Full Version" value-added service provided by "Deer": 1. Subscription model This service is a subscription-based fee-based service, which means that you will pay in advance for future subscription usage. Currently, you can choose to use the service on a monthly or yearly basis. At the end of each subscription period, your subscription will be automatically renewed by default, unless you cancel the automatic renewal yourself or we cancel the service. 2. Expenses The current standard service price may change during the promotion period. When the price adjustment occurs, the new fee will be incurred in your next subscription cycle. 3. Refund The current subscription fee will not be refunded. Please be sure to cancel the service by yourself before the end of the trial. 4. Unsubscribe If you need to cancel the renewal, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance. You can cancel by the following method: open the system settings-click on Apple ID-click on subscription-select "Deer" to cancel the subscription 5. Other The same Apple ID can only open one subscription to "Deer" contact us If you have any questions about these terms of use, please contact us. Email address: todo-color@outlook.com. Link to Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy link: https://rednowapp.github.io/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

iBlueSky (mindmapping)4 screens
Deer3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iBlueSky (mindmapping) at none against Deer's 3. iBlueSky (mindmapping) also leads on iOS requirement (11.4 vs 15). Deer's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (89% vs 70%). On price, ads and device support 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. Deer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. iBlueSky (mindmapping) asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iBlueSky (mindmapping) ships an update every 3 months, Deer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
iBlueSky (mindmapping) versus Deer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriBlueSky (mindmapping)Deer
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.4% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS11.4 — better15
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew Ebling佳文 潘

Customer experience

iBlueSky (mindmapping)

All ratings5 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews135 reviews
Positive70.4%
Neutral8.1%
Negative21.5%

Deer

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

iBlueSky (mindmapping)

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when trying to use undo button
  • Distortion of text in nodes with longer content
  • Issues with syncing and transferring mind maps between devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Undo/redo functionality
  • Ability to change branch colors and styles
  • Support for more file formats and cloud storage integration
  • Improved zooming and panning controls
  • Hierarchical organization of projects

Deer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iBlueSky (mindmapping)

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Deer

Subscriptions2
  • Subscription Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Subscription Yearly$5.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime VIP$9.99

Questions

Is iBlueSky (mindmapping) free?
iBlueSky (mindmapping) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Deer free?
Deer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do iBlueSky (mindmapping) or Deer have ads?
Neither iBlueSky (mindmapping) nor Deer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iBlueSky (mindmapping) or Deer?
iBlueSky (mindmapping) ships an update every 3 months, and Deer every 9 days. Most recently, iBlueSky (mindmapping) was updated on October 16, 2026 and Deer on September 22, 2026.

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