Trout vs Concept Mapping
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Trout
This app helps you organize thoughts and ideas non-linearly using words and images. You can categorize concepts with color and shape, and enhance your maps with sketches and photos. Share your organized ideas as images or PDFs, or export them in OPML or markdown formats.
- Associate words and images
- Organize ideas non-linearly
- Categorize by color and shape
- Add sketches and photos
- Share as image or PDF
- Export OPML or markdown
- Freeform or automatic layout
Read full descriptionHide full description
Trout is a mind mapping application that allows you to rapidly associate words and images, and help you organise your ideas in a non-linear way. It could assist you with organising an event, writing a document or solving a problem. Your ideas can be categorised by color and shape and you can add sketches and photos to your map. Features •Share your map as an image, PDF. •Export OPML or markdown •Freeform or automatic layout. •Basic sketching for quick visual capture
Concept Mapping
Organize thoughts and plan projects with powerful concept maps. Visualize ideas, connect related concepts, and structure information more effectively than traditional notes. Share your creations and easily search your organized web of knowledge.
- Organize ideas with concept maps
- Connect related concepts
- Visualize ideas and information
- Plan projects effectively
- Brainstorming tool
- Add resources (links, images, video)
- Searchable knowledge graph
Read full descriptionHide full description
Think more clearly and structure your ideas with powerful concept maps in Gloow. Plan projects, prepare presentations, brainstorm ideas, build stories, or even learn languages. Connect the dots with Gloow. Gloow can help you: * Think more clearly * Organize ideas more easily than written notes * Connect related concepts * Craft stories * Visualize ideas * Plan your projects more effectively * Brainstorm * Create beautiful mind maps and concept maps In Gloow, your ideas, called “nodes”, link together. You can connect one node to any other. There is no limit on the number of connections each node can have. This creates an organized web of information that you visualize, browse, and search. This structure is also known as a knowledge graph. Whether it’s a simple plan or a complex project, Gloow connects the dots between your information, ideas, and thoughts. Features: * Share your ideas with friends and family * Easily search your ideas and notes * Colour-scheming * Add resources (links, images, video) to your thoughts * Search the web for resources * Share resources from browsers straight into the app * Switch between a mind map and list view * No ads All features in Gloow are free to use up to a certain data limit. There is the option to upgrade to a subscription in the app for unlimited data.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Concept Mapping at 5.0 against Trout's 4.8. Concept Mapping also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). Trout's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Trout sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per 2 months and Concept Mapping sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Concept Mapping holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.
Trout ships an update every 5 months, Concept Mapping every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and July 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Trout | Concept Mapping |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Digital-Dirtbag | Nebulae GCV |
Customer experience
Trout
Concept Mapping
In-app purchases
Trout
- 60 Day subscription$2.492 Months
- Free trialFree
- Lifetime Purchase$3.99
Concept Mapping
- Gloow Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
- Gloow Early Bird Subscriptions$5.993 Months
- Gloow Yearly Subscription$9.991 Year








