Comparison

Ideas Pool vs Kobako

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

Head to head
About

Ideas Pool

Features
Read full description

Ideas Pool is a minimal yet powerful idea manager designed for visual Thinkers, creators and lifelong learners. Capture every spark the moment it appears, organize it with tags and statuses, and turn it into real projects when the timing is right. Features: 1. Visual Idea Presentation - Say goodbye to vertical text lists, embrace visual layouts - Each idea has its own unique avatar (choose preset characters or custom emoji/images) - Gracefully floating in the idea pool, clear at a glance - The perfect tool for visual thinkers 2. Lightning-Fast Gesture Controls - Quick sort mode: Swipe cards for fast decisions - Progress dragging: Long-press avatars to adjust completion - Toggle between three view modes (list/grid/pool view) 3. iOS Widget Quick Recording - Add ideas directly from your home screen, no need to open the app - Support for both text and voice input - Automatically syncs to the idea pool - Even more convenient with lock screen widgets 4. Custom Goals, Zero Pressure - Set your own goal values, no-pressure design - Choose from three weekly goal types - Visual progress bars for a sense of achievement 5. Customizable Idea Avatars - Five adorable preset characters - Support custom emoji as avatars - Upload your own images as profile pictures - Automatically detect and set idea representative icons from content 6. Smart Title Recognition - Spaces automatically recognized as title separators - Easy editing, modify anytime - Free categorization with tag system

About

Kobako

Features
Read full description

Kobako β€” Japanese for β€œsmall box” β€” is a quick place to put an idea down before it slips away. Kapi, a capybara, lives there and looks after whatever you leave. CATCH IT IN A SECOND β€’ Tap the bulb and type or dictate β€” the idea is saved before the thought is gone β€’ Capture straight from a Home Screen widget or a Control Center button β€’ Kapi notices a new idea and cheers you on EVERYTHING IN ONE FEED β€’ New ideas land in Inbox and lie as cards right on the app’s Home β€’ A row of folders sits above the feed: tap one to see only its ideas β€’ Sort by newest, oldest, priority or due date β€’ An idea that grows gets a fresh page laid over it β€” up to five, with the earlier thinking still readable underneath β€’ Search finds any idea or folder in a few letters CLOSE IT, KEEP IT Tick a card when an idea is done, and it flies into Closed. Nothing disappears: finished ideas rest there, and any of them can be reopened. A QUIET FRIEND Kapi putters about his window library and naps while you are away; a tap wakes him. Once a day, around eight in the evening, he knocks to ask how the day went β€” and skips it if the app was already opened that evening. AT HOME ON EVERY SCREEN β€’ iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo β€” two panes side by side on iPad in landscape and on the open Duo β€’ Dark theme throughout; Reduce Motion honoured everywhere Kapi moves β€’ 10 languages YOURS ALONE No account and no sign-in. Your ideas stay on your device. Questions or a hello: hello@kobako.app Terms of Use: https://kobako.app/terms

Screenshots

Ideas Pool4 screens
Kobako4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ideas Pool at none against Kobako's 4. Ideas Pool also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Kobako sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Ideas Pool asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ideas Pool ships an update every 4 days, Kobako every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Ideas Pool versus Kobako: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdeas PoolKobako
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days β€” betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size76 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTing Yu LinAleksandr Gaidash

In-app purchases

None

Ideas Pool

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Kobako

Subscriptions2
  • Kobako Plus Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Kobako Plus Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Supporter Pack$2.99
  • Rich Capybara$9.99

Questions

Is Ideas Pool free?
Ideas Pool is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kobako free?
Kobako is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ideas Pool or Kobako have ads?
Neither Ideas Pool nor Kobako shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ideas Pool or Kobako?
Ideas Pool ships an update every 4 days, and Kobako every 5 weeks. Most recently, Ideas Pool was updated on November 5, 2026 and Kobako on October 29, 2026.

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