Comparison

Hive vs Foma

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

Head to head
About

Hive

A private visual reference library for creatives to save, organize, and access images, videos, and files. It offers robust organization tools like folders and tags, and works seamlessly on mobile devices for on-the-go access. Designed for users who need a controlled space for inspiration without tracking or feeds.

Highlights
  • Private visual reference library
  • Organize with folders, tags, and filters
  • Smart Folders for project-specific sets
  • Supports mixed media (images, video, links, files)
  • Fast capture via Share Sheet and clipboard
  • Mobile-first creative workflows
  • Privacy-focused, no tracking
Features
Read full description

Hive is a private visual reference library for designers, illustrators, photographers, and creative teams. Save references the moment you find them—Share Sheet, clipboard, Safari, and links—then keep images, video, and files in one library you actually control. No feed. No tracking theater. Just a calm place to store and reopen what you need. Organize for real work • Folders, tags, filters, and search built for reference retrieval • Smart Folders to surface the set you need for a project • Mixed media in one place: images, video, links, and files Built for mobile creative workflows • Fast capture on iPhone and iPad • Browse and reuse references on the go • Works with an Eagle-compatible library workflow on mobile Privacy by default • Your library stays yours Hive is for people who already collect inspiration in Pinterest, moodboards, or Eagle on the desktop—and need a private, organized library on iOS. Download Hive and turn scattered references into a library you can find again. Privacy Policy: https://hive.ink/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Foma

Features
Read full description

Foma is a touch-first graphic design and typography editor for iPhone and iPad. Create posters, social graphics, typographic compositions, and precise visual layouts in a workspace designed for direct manipulation. DESIGN WITH PRECISION • Add and edit text, photos, rectangles, circles, polygons, stars, grids, and lines. • Import custom fonts and fine-tune weight, size, tracking, line spacing, paragraph spacing, alignment, and decoration. • Control fill, stroke, opacity, blend modes, position, size, rotation, and shape-specific settings. • Build linear, radial, and freeform multi-point gradients; add blur, shadow, vintage, mosaic, and outline effects. WORK NATURALLY • Move, scale, rotate, duplicate, align, distribute, and group elements directly on the canvas. • Use snapping, marquee selection, precision rulers, crop controls, cutout edges, and opacity masks. • Save elements or groups to Hub, organize them, and reuse them across local projects. • Learn gestures and workflows with interactive onboarding and the visual Foma Guidebook. CREATE FOR SCREEN OR PRINT • Start from presets or set custom dimensions in pixels, millimeters, inches, or points. • Configure DPI, bleed, background color, transparency, and grids. • Import Illustrator, PDF, or Foma project files. • Export a full canvas or selection as PNG, JPEG, or PDF; selected layers can also be exported as a combined transparent PNG or separate PNG files. Foma adapts to iPhone. Your projects, imported images, and fonts are processed locally. No account is required. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Hive4 screens
Foma4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Foma at none against Hive's 3. Hive's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 days) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. Hive sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Foma asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hive ships an update every 5 days, Foma every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hive versus Foma: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiveFoma
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (39 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings39 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size187 MB54 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developer易泓 刘莉 陈

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Hive

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Annually7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$39.99
None

Foma

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hive free?
Hive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Foma free?
Foma is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hive or Foma have ads?
Neither Hive nor Foma shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hive or Foma?
Hive ships an update every 5 days, and Foma every 10 days. Most recently, Hive was updated on November 13, 2026 and Foma on November 10, 2026.

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