Comparison

Amber vs Idea Tiles

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

Head to head
About

Amber

A Markdown notes app designed for efficient writing and a clear reading experience. Organize notes in folders, search your library, and sync across Apple devices. Includes built-in tutorials for easy onboarding.

Highlights
  • Markdown styling as you type
  • Folder organization
  • Fast writing and calm reading view
  • Search across library
  • Photo attachments
  • iCloud syncing across devices
Features
Read full description

Your writing should stay yours—and remain easy to open with other tools. Amber is a Markdown document app that stores regular .md files in iCloud Drive. You can see the originals in the Files app on iPhone and iPad or in Finder on Mac, so your work never depends on a proprietary document format. Natural to write, clear to read Markdown markers appear when you need them, while headings, lists, quotes, links, images, checkboxes, and code blocks stay easy to read. Reading Mode lets you select and copy without worrying about accidental edits. Editing Mode gets you straight back to writing. Tables you can edit in place Amber turns Markdown tables into clear, editable grids. Change cells, add or remove rows and columns, choose header rows or columns, and adjust alignment without leaving the document. The source remains regular Markdown. Stay oriented in long documents Jump to any section with the heading navigator, or fold a heading to see only the shape of your document. Find within the current file, search your entire library, use line numbers, and move back or forward between documents. Keep a growing library organized Recent Documents, Favorites, and folders keep important files close. Choose a destination before creating a document or folder, then rename, move, delete, and restore items with a familiar flow on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Recover from accidental changes Amber can keep earlier contents in version history on the current device. Preview an older version, compare it with the current document, and restore the one you need. History is stored separately on each device rather than in iCloud, and its storage limit is under your control. Continue across iPhone, iPad, and Mac Your documents sync through iCloud Drive. Capture a thought on iPhone, shape a longer draft on iPad, and work with the original files in Finder on Mac. No separate Amber account is required. Amber includes an interface and built-in guides in Korean, English, Japanese, and Russian. Terms of Use and EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://drfranken.net/apps/amber/privacyPolicy_en.html

About

Idea Tiles

Features
Read full description

Turn one thought into a visual map of everything around it. Idea Tiles is a hexagonal brainstorming canvas for writers, designers, product thinkers, researchers, and anyone who works better with connected fragments than a blank page. Start with one tile, explore the ideas around it, and keep following the branches that matter. EXPLORE THE SPACE AROUND AN IDEA • Expand a tile into six related directions with Apple Intelligence on supported devices. • Merge two tiles into one thought that captures what they share. • Star important themes and filter a busy board down to what matters. • Undo, redo, pan, and zoom without breaking your flow. PRIVATE BY DESIGN On supported iPhone and iPad models, generation runs through Apple's on-device Foundation Models. Prompts, board context, and responses stay on your device. There is no silent cloud fallback, no account requirement, no advertising profile, and no analytics SDK in the native app. MAKE THE BOARD PORTABLE Export your work as PNG, JPG, SVG, or JSON through the standard share sheet. Send it with AirDrop or Messages, save it to Files, or keep the structured JSON for later editing. RETURN TO YOUR WORK Boards are saved locally across sessions. Template customization also uses the on-device model, and model readiness is checked again when the app returns to the foreground. ACCESSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE Idea Tiles includes VoiceOver labels, adjustable text, high-contrast options, reduced-motion support, keyboard shortcuts, and touch interactions designed for both iPhone and iPad. REQUIREMENTS • Generation requires iOS 26 or later, Apple Intelligence enabled, and eligible hardware. • Canvas editing, merge, star, filter, local sessions, and export remain available without generation. • When the system model is unavailable or still preparing, Idea Tiles explains why and checks again automatically. Idea Tiles is free, with no subscription and no in-app purchases.

Screenshots

Amber4 screens
Idea Tiles4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Idea Tiles at Free against Amber's $2.99. Amber's advantage is iOS requirement (17.4 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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

Idea Tiles is free to download; Amber costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Amber versus Idea Tiles: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAmberIdea Tiles
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDONGWOOK LEELanguageCraft

In-app purchases

None

Amber

No in-app purchases

None

Idea Tiles

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Amber free?
Amber costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Idea Tiles free?
Idea Tiles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Amber or Idea Tiles have ads?
Neither Amber nor Idea Tiles shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Amber or Idea Tiles?
Amber ships an update fortnightly, and Idea Tiles fortnightly. Most recently, Amber was updated on September 29, 2026 and Idea Tiles on October 7, 2026.

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