Comparison

SimpleMind vs Halo

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

Head to head
About

SimpleMind

Organize thoughts, capture ideas, and generate new concepts with a powerful mind mapping tool. Its intuitive interface allows for free-form or auto-layout creation, with options to add media, documents, and synchronize across devices. Share your mind maps in various formats or present them as slideshows.

Highlights
  • Free-form and auto layout options
  • Add images, notes, icons, and links
  • Voice memos and video integration
  • Cloud synchronization across devices
  • Export to PDF, Image, Reminders, Calendar
  • Customizable styling and themes
  • Collapse/expand branches for overview
Features
Read full description

Mind mapping helps you organize your thoughts, remember information and generate new ideas. We've created a beautiful, intuitive app, so you can mind map wherever you are and whenever you want. Free Functionality • Everything you need to get started with mind mapping. • No ads. • No data collection. • No need to sign up for an account. • Upgrade to full functionality is a one-time single purchase. Highlights • Easy to use. • Continuously fine-tuned based on customer feedback. • Trustworthy and reliable: 15+ years of updates and improvements. • Used in a wide range of applications: business, education, legal and medical. • Tools to help you maintain overview. Create ○ place topics anywhere you want in the free-form layout ○ or use auto layout - great for brainstorming ○ reorganize and restructure using drag, rotate, re-arrange or reconnect ○ use checkboxes, progress bars, auto-numbering ○ connect any two topics with a crosslink ○ label relations ○ virtually unlimited page size and number of elements ○ supports multiple Mind Maps on one page Add media and documents ○ images and photos ○ notes ○ icons (stock, emojis or custom) ○ link to a topic, mind map, contact, file or webpage ○ voice memos ○ videos Seamless synchronization using clouds ○ sync mind maps with your iPads and iPhones ○ sync mind maps across platforms. For example with Mac - as a separate purchase ○ sync using iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, 坚果云 - Nutstore and Nextcloud Share your Mind Map ○ for example as PDF or Image ○ outline, can be imported in word processors ○ create a slideshow to present your Mind Map (Tablet only) ○ print ○ export to Reminders or Calendar Style your mind map ○ change the appearance by selecting one of the 15+ style sheets ○ create your own style sheets ○ style every detail, exactly how you want it ○ change borders, lines, colors, background color, the checkbox color, and much more Maintain overview ○ collapse and expand branches ○ hide or show branches or topics ○ block out distractions with autofocus ○ highlight branches by displaying branch borders ○ visually group topics with group borders ○ organize your Mind Maps in folders ○ outline view ○ search

About

Halo

Receive location-based alerts for various needs, from access codes to shopping lists. Get timely reminders as you approach designated areas, making sure you never miss an important task or discovery.

Highlights
  • Geo-localized alerts
  • Location-based reminders
  • Customizable alerts
  • Push notifications
  • Access alerts from home screen
Features
Read full description

Halo turns places into reminders. Save a spot on the map and get notified when you arrive, when you leave, or both. THE RIGHT THING. THE RIGHT PLACE. Create location-based reminders for home, work, the supermarket, the gym, the pharmacy or anywhere else. Search for an address, place a pin on the map and choose the radius that makes sense for you. SMART TRIGGERS • On arrival, on departure or both • Custom radius for every spot • Optional days and time window • Repeat forever or fire once and archive automatically • Pause a reminder without deleting it MORE THAN A SIMPLE ALERT Keep useful content attached to each place: • To-do checklists • Numbered and bulleted lists • Notes and text • Links to pages • Images • Categories for quick filtering Your shopping list can be waiting when you reach the store. A parcel reminder can appear when you arrive at work. A “don’t forget the keys” alert can fire when you leave home. MADE FOR EVERYDAY USE See all your spots on one map, filter them by category and open a distance-sorted list whenever you need it. Search nearby places, reuse reminders, edit them anytime and act directly from notifications with quick actions such as Done or Remind me in 30 min. Halo also supports Siri and Shortcuts with “Remind me here” so you can quickly create a one-time reminder at your current location. Background location reminders require notification permission and “Always” location access so iOS can notify you even when Halo is closed.

Screenshots

SimpleMind4 screens
Halo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SimpleMind at 77% against Halo's 25%. SimpleMind also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.9) and ads (none vs shown). Halo's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price and update cadence 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. SimpleMind sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Halo asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SimpleMind holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SimpleMind has 981 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of SimpleMind's written reviews are positive against 25% of Halo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SimpleMind ships an update every 2 months, Halo every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
SimpleMind versus Halo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimpleMindHalo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (981 ratings) — better3.9 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews77.2% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings981 — better14
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerxpt Software & Consulting B.V.David Azancot

Customer experience

SimpleMind

All ratings981 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral3.1%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews1,393 reviews
Positive77.2%
Neutral8.5%
Negative14.3%

Halo

All ratings14 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Bugs and requests

SimpleMind

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Maps disappearing after device resets
  • Inability to import/export certain file formats

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved syncing and cloud integration
  • More customization options for appearance and layout
  • Keyboard shortcuts and power user features
  • Better support for Apple Pencil and handwriting

Halo

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SimpleMind

One-time1
  • Unlock Pro Functionality$10.99
None

Halo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SimpleMind free?
SimpleMind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Halo free?
Halo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SimpleMind or Halo?
SimpleMind is rated higher. SimpleMind averages 4.5 out of 5 from 981 ratings, while Halo averages 3.9 from 14 ratings.
Do SimpleMind or Halo have ads?
Halo shows ads; SimpleMind does not.
Which is updated more often, SimpleMind or Halo?
SimpleMind ships an update every 2 months, and Halo every 3 months. Most recently, SimpleMind was updated on October 26, 2026 and Halo on October 24, 2026.

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