Comparison

iDatabase vs Summa

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

Head to head
About

iDatabase

Create and manage custom databases on your iPhone and iPad without needing technical skills. Organize personal or work information, search across all your data instantly, and sync seamlessly with your Mac. Offers ready-to-use templates and flexible data fields.

Highlights
  • Create custom databases
  • Organize records with Groups and Smart Groups
  • Search across all databases
  • Sync with iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud
  • Ready-to-use templates
  • Flexible data fields
  • Share and import data
Features
Read full description

CREATE DATABASES IN SECONDS iDatabase is a powerful and easy-to-use database app for iPhone and iPad. Create and manage your own databases without technical skills. Organize work or personal information, store everything in one place, and find what you need in seconds. ORGANIZE YOUR RECORDS Create Groups and Smart Groups directly in the record list to keep your data organized. Smart Groups automatically collect records that match your criteria and update as your data changes. SEARCH ALL YOUR DATABASES Find information across all your databases, even when they are not open. Search by name, word, number, or any other information and jump directly to the matching record. FAST AND INTUITIVE A clean, modern interface designed for iPhone and iPad. Create, edit, browse, and organize records with simple touch controls, full Dark Mode support, and smooth navigation. SYNC WITH MAC, IPHONE AND IPAD Keep your databases up to date across all your devices with iCloud. Changes are automatically synchronized between iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Store databases in iCloud, restore previous versions, and access your information even when you are offline. READY-TO-USE TEMPLATES Get started quickly with built-in templates for contacts, inventories, expenses, projects, recipes, and more. Customize existing templates or create your own databases from scratch. FLEXIBLE DATA FIELDS Use text, numbers, dates, images, links, email addresses, phone numbers, checkboxes, password fields, choices, and calculated fields. Customize each field and choose which fields appear in the record list. SEARCH, SORT AND ORGANIZE Search and sort records by any field. Use Groups and Smart Groups to organize your information automatically and keep large databases easy to manage. APPLE INTELLIGENCE Use Apple Intelligence Writing Tools to correct, rewrite, and compose text directly in your database fields. SHARE AND IMPORT Share databases, selected records, or individual entries with other apps. Import data from CSV files and add records from other iDatabase databases. FLEXIBLE PURCHASE OPTIONS iDatabase is available as a one-time purchase or as a monthly or annual subscription. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Privacy Policy: https://www.apimac.com/about/privacy/ https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdterms/

About

Summa

Features
Read full description

Write it down – Summa does the math. Summa is a notes app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. You jot down your travel budget, below it what’s already booked, and next to the following line you see what’s left per day. Change an amount and the rest falls back into place. No cells, no formula language. Beyond the math, Summa is a fully fledged notes app: headings, paragraphs, a photo in between, lists with boxes to tick off. Notes live in folders, can be searched, pinned, locked with Face ID or Touch ID, and can link to one another. If there’s nothing to calculate, it’s simply a note. The math helps wherever you’d normally run a rough estimate before deciding: a quote where the hourly rate is still open, or the question at which term a lease becomes more expensive than buying, interest included. Play it through first, then decide. The note stays, ready for next time. Values can carry names. Call an amount “rent” and you can use it further down without typing it again. A slider makes a number something you can grab: drag the hourly rate and the quote total moves with it. Longer breakdowns go into tables that calculate column by column; the column total is available to the rest of the note. WHAT SUMMA CALCULATES • Percentages – take off a discount, add sales tax, work out rent as a share of income • Units and currencies – square meters, kilograms, kilometers, kilowatt-hours, hours; dollars, euros, pounds and francs with your own rates, offline too • Dates and deadlines – the days until an appointment, in weeks or months if you prefer; date fields with a calendar • Finance functions – compound interest, savings plan, loan payment, remaining balance, loan interest, savings goal, purchasing power • Break-even points – the year from which two cost curves cross, the point at which a threshold is reached • Case distinctions – a different result depending on a value • Totals – sum, subtotal, average, count • Checkboxes – items count toward the total once you tick them off, not before • Plus input fields, result cards, Markdown and templates to get started CHARTS (PRO) Charts are built from what’s already in the note; you don’t enter anything twice. A table of utility bills becomes a bar chart, a savings plan a curve that shows when you’ll reach your goal. Ten chart types, including several curves from one table. Change a value in the note and the chart moves with it. ON ALL YOUR DEVICES Your notes live in your iCloud and are the same on iPhone, iPad and Mac; what you change on the go is already there at your desk. To pass things on: PDF and HTML, print-ready, with tables and charts (Pro). For other apps there’s Markdown, CSV and JSON, plus a backup of all your notes. ONE PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION Summa is free for up to three notes of your own, with all calculations, tables, sliders and templates. Summa Pro lifts the limit and unlocks charts and export as PDF and HTML. One purchase for iPhone, iPad and Mac, with Family Sharing. No subscription. PRIVATE Summa needs no account and collects no data about you. There are no ads. The app works offline; your notes live in your iCloud, and the developer has no access to them. Terms of Use: https://osiev.de/en/summa/eula.html

Screenshots

iDatabase4 screens
Summa4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: iDatabase at 18.6 against Summa's 26.0. 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. iDatabase sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Summa sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iDatabase ships an update fortnightly, Summa weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
iDatabase versus Summa: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriDatabaseSumma
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (513 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews52.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings513 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApimacOliver Dietmar Harald Sievers

Bugs and requests

iDatabase

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when adding photos
  • Inability to open databases
  • Data loss and corruption issues
  • Syncing problems between devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add iCloud support
  • Improve Dropbox integration
  • Enhance sorting and filtering capabilities
  • Introduce currency and calculation fields
  • Provide a more user-friendly interface

Summa

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

iDatabase

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime License$39.99
1 purchases

Summa

One-time1
  • Summa Pro$8.99

Questions

Is iDatabase free?
iDatabase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Summa free?
Summa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do iDatabase or Summa have ads?
Neither iDatabase nor Summa shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iDatabase or Summa?
iDatabase ships an update fortnightly, and Summa weekly. Most recently, iDatabase was updated on November 10, 2026 and Summa on November 6, 2026.

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