Comparison

HillNote vs Mapable

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

Head to head
About

HillNote

Features
Read full description

Hillnote is where you think. A local-first, markdown-native workspace that captures your work in AI-native formats - notes, plans, drafts, ideas, decisions. Built on plain markdown, stored on your device, paired with your desktop, and ready for the AI tools you already use. Built for builders, makers, writers, and small teams who think on the move and want their workspace to come with them. Write as you think, the way you think. A clean markdown editor designed for capture, not arrangement. A floating toolbar above the keyboard handles formatting; standard markdown shortcuts work out of the box. Quicknotes for everything in between. Tap + to capture an idea the moment it lands. Save and it's in your workspace; keep typing if you want to expand it. No friction between a thought and a file. Your thinking stays on your device. Every file lives locally as plain markdown. No rented database, no required account, no lock-in. Your work is yours from day one, and yours if you cancel. Free sync across iPhone, iPad, and desktop. The first 100MB syncs free -more than enough for years of notes. Capture on your phone, expand on your desktop, review anywhere. Talk to your knowledge base. Built-in chat reads your own files, edits them, creates new ones, and pulls context from your workspace. Upload images and have them read aloud. Auto mode picks the right model; switch manually when you want to. Supercharge your writing with Apple Intelligence. Native integration with Apple Intelligence writing tools - proofread, rewrite, reformat -via the AI button or text selection. Workspaces with all the context AI models need. Hillnote automatically generates context files (AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, document registries) so any AI tool you connect can navigate your workspace immediately - no setup, no plugins. Pairs with the agents you already work with. Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, Cowork, Claude Code - connect via local or cloud MCP, or point them at the workspace folder directly. Plain markdown means no exports, no conversions. They read and edit the same files you do. Carry your tools, not just your notes. Build small HTML tools - pomodoro timers, day counters, focus checklists, anything else - that travel inside your workspace. Pin them as widgets. Your tools live next to the work they support. A different model. We separate what's a service from what's yours. You subscribe to the workspace and pay for cloud features (expanded sync, frontier AI, publishing, routines, BYO key) only when you need them. Free accounts include limited premium model usage. Your data stays on your device as plain markdown, always canonical, always portable. Start free. Sync free. Stay local. Add cloud when you outgrow it. Download Hillnote and bring your thinking with you.

About

Mapable

Capture thoughts, voice memos, photos, and links effortlessly. This app uses AI to automatically organize, tag, and link your information, visualizing it as an interactive mind map. Ask natural language questions to retrieve answers from your entire knowledge base.

Highlights
  • Instant capture (text, voice, images, URLs)
  • AI auto-tagging and linking
  • Interactive knowledge graph visualization
  • Natural language search
  • Daily journal with prompts
  • Goal tracking and todo management
Features
Read full description

Mapable is a calm second brain that organizes itself. Throw in a thought, a voice note, a screenshot, a link or a TikTok. Mapable files each one into a few clear topics, draws them as a map, and answers when you ask. No folders. No tags. No setup. CAPTURE ANYTHING โ€ข Thoughts, voice notes, photos and screenshots, links โ€ข TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube videos: Mapable watches them and remembers what's inside, down to the moment โ€ข Share from any app with the share sheet, or dictate anywhere with your voice IT ORGANIZES ITSELF โ€ข Every note lands in one of a few stable topics, automatically โ€ข Your topics are drawn as a topographic map: each topic is a hill that grows as you add to it โ€ข Related notes link up on their own ASK YOUR NOTES โ€ข Ask in plain words: "where was that ramen place?" โ€ข Get an answer in your language, with the notes it came from, even "the moment at 0:21 in that TikTok" YOUR DAY, IN ONE PLACE โ€ข Today: your calendar, todos, rituals, and a note resurfaced from a while ago โ€ข It noticed: Mapable spots todos, dates, goals and habits inside your notes and suggests them. Nothing is added without your tap โ€ข Grow: goals drawn as summits, rituals with streaks, and the people named in your notes โ€ข Evening check-in: your mood as weather, plus a few words โ€ข Weekly review: what grew this week, as a map you can share MADE FOR BUSY HEADS Students, readers, makers, parents, and anyone whose reading list makes them feel guilty. Use it as a brain dump, a voice journal, a recipe keeper, a bookmark manager, or the place where saved TikToks finally get watched again. SIX LANGUAGES English, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German and Italian. Mapable replies in your language. IN THEIR WORDS "honestly I just throw stuff in and forget about it, then a week later it's sitting exactly where I'd have put it. bit spooky" (John) "asked it where that restaurant was that I saved months ago and it just knew" (Lina) "my reading list used to make me feel guilty. now I actually go back to it" (Dennis) "I never stick with notes apps. still using this one" (Irina) FREE AND PRO Mapable is free: 5 notes a day, 3 Asks a week and 1 video a week. Mapable Pro removes the limits: unlimited notes, Asks and videos. Mapable Pro is $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year. The yearly plan includes a 7-day free trial for eligible new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://www.mapable.dev/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.mapable.dev/terms

Screenshots

HillNote4 screens
Mapable4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HillNote at none against Mapable's 2. HillNote also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Mapable sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. HillNote asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HillNote ships an update weekly, Mapable every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 6 level
HillNote versus Mapable: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHillNoteMapable
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsโ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
Monetizationโ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size221 MB33 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperRajath BailAlexis Raimbault

In-app purchases

None

HillNote

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Mapable

Subscriptions2
  • Mapable Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Mapable Pro Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is HillNote free?
HillNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mapable free?
Mapable is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HillNote or Mapable have ads?
Mapable shows ads; HillNote does not.
Which is updated more often, HillNote or Mapable?
HillNote ships an update weekly, and Mapable every 4 days. Most recently, HillNote was updated on November 9, 2026 and Mapable on November 5, 2026.

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