# Columns.app vs Clew

The clearest difference is rating: Clew at 5.0 against Columns.app's 4.3. Columns.app's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Clew sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Columns.app asks for nothing beyond the download.

Clew holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Columns.app | Clew |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/columnsapp/id6468962770/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clew-highlights-and-notes/id6477902274/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Columns, inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711067600) | [Thomas Twardzik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731056279) |

## What reviewers say

### Columns.app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/columnsapp/id6468962770)

Organize your thoughts and tasks with a unique column-based list manager. Ideal for planning, tracking, and managing projects, ideas, or collections. It offers a structured, linear approach similar to mind maps for clear visualization.

**Highlights:** Organize with linear columns, Plan and track progress, Manage projects and ideas, Create roadmaps, Teamwork organization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Clew

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clew-highlights-and-notes/id6477902274)

Capture and organize quotes, notes, and highlights from books, articles, films, and podcasts. Discover connections between your saved content through powerful tagging and intelligent recommendations. This app acts as a digital commonplace book, synced across all your devices.

**Highlights:** Save highlights from books, web, film, TV, and podcasts, Organize and search saved content, Discover connections between saved items, Tagging and intelligent recommendations, Syncs across all devices, Camera scanning for book pages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip - $0.99 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip - $2.99 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Super Tip - $9.99 | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Columns.app free?

Columns.app is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Clew free?

Clew is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Columns.app or Clew?

Clew is rated higher. Columns.app averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Clew averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Columns.app or Clew have ads?

Neither Columns.app nor Clew shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Columns.app or Clew?

Columns.app ships an update every 3 weeks, and Clew every 3 weeks. Most recently, Columns.app was updated on October 24, 2026 and Clew on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*