Comparison

Aiko vs Reference Board

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

Head to head
About

Aiko

Discover your next great idea with this premium inspiration engine. Explore content tailored to your tastes without ads or distractions. Import existing collections or start anew as the app evolves with you.

Highlights
  • AI-powered inspiration engine
  • Ad-free and distraction-free experience
  • Content discovery tailored to user taste
  • Import existing collections
  • Evolves with user preferences
Features
Read full description

Aiko is a premium inspiration engine designed to help you find the spark for your next idea. Built for a seamless, uninterrupted experience, Aiko lets you explore freely! scroll as much as you want and discover content that actually resonates with you. No ads. No distractions. Just pure inspiration. Import your existing collections or start fresh- Aiko adapts to your taste and evolves with you over time.

About

Reference Board

This app offers an infinite canvas for visually organizing thoughts and inspiration. Users can drop in various media types, arrange them freely, and zoom in or out to explore connections. Instant search functionality helps locate specific items across all boards.

Highlights
  • Infinite canvas
  • Visual idea organization
  • Supports images, videos, quotes
  • Freeform arrangement
  • Instant search
  • Zoom in/out functionality
Features
Read full description

Reference Board is a private visual workspace for collecting inspiration, developing ideas, and keeping creative research close at hand on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. BUILD VISUAL BOARDS • Collect images, videos, links, text, colors, and PDFs in one place. • Arrange references freely on an infinite canvas or switch to an organized grid. • Move, resize, group, stack, crop, flip, and annotate without changing your original media. • Use the loupe to inspect fine details in images and videos. FIND WHAT YOU NEED • Search across boards and references. • Use on-device analysis, OCR, colors, metadata, and visual similarity to rediscover material quickly. • Keep notes and details attached to the work they describe. SYNC, COLLABORATE, AND SHARE • Keep your library in sync across Mac, iPhone, and iPad with iCloud. • Invite others to collaborate on shared boards. • Publish a separate public, view-only webpage when you want to present your work more widely. • Update or unpublish a published board whenever you like. WORK YOUR WAY • Import from Photos, Files, Safari, drag and drop, or the Share Sheet. • Export boards as images, PDFs, or Reference Board archives. • Use widgets, Shortcuts, the screen saver, and optional MCP automation to connect Reference Board to your workflow. ONE PURCHASE. NO SUBSCRIPTION. New customers receive Reference Pro with their App Store purchase, including unlimited private boards and items, Publish to Web, AI metadata and visual discovery, new collaborations, PDF export, and MCP automation. People who acquired Reference while it was free keep their existing Free plan with one private board and up to 20 items. They can unlock lifetime Reference Pro with a one-time in-app purchase. Reaching a Free limit never deletes or hides existing work. Original paid-app customers and people who already purchased lifetime Reference Pro keep permanent Pro access automatically.

Screenshots

Aiko4 screens
Reference Board4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Aiko at Free against Reference Board's $5.99. Aiko also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (100% vs 64%). Reference Board's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and chart position (#166 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads and device support 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

Aiko is free to download; Reference Board costs $5.99 up front. Reference Board sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Aiko asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Aiko holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Aiko's written reviews are positive against 64% of Reference Board's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aiko ships an update every 2 weeks, Reference Board every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Aiko versus Reference Board: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAikoReference Board
PriceFree — better$5.99
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better4.3 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better63.6% of reviews
Number of ratings67 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#166 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB23 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperRiley DrcelikJordan Ruchtie

Customer experience

Aiko

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Reference Board

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%

In-app purchases

None

Aiko

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Reference Board

One-time1
  • Reference Pro$5.99

Questions

Is Aiko free?
Aiko is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reference Board free?
Reference Board costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Aiko or Reference Board?
Aiko is rated higher. Aiko averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Reference Board averages 4.3 from 7 ratings.
Do Aiko or Reference Board have ads?
Neither Aiko nor Reference Board shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aiko or Reference Board?
Aiko ships an update every 2 weeks, and Reference Board every 4 days. Most recently, Aiko was updated on November 5, 2026 and Reference Board on November 9, 2026.

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