Comparison

TabulaDB vs Nodebook

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

Head to head
About

TabulaDB

Create custom databases to track anything, from collections to personal projects. Offers pre-built templates or design your own with various field types. Data syncs via iCloud and can be exported for portability.

Highlights
  • Custom database creation
  • Pre-built templates
  • 15 field types
  • iCloud sync
  • Data export (CSV, JSON)
  • Reports and charts
Features
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TabulaDB – Build Your Own Database Track anything — your way. TabulaDB lets you create fully custom databases right on your iPhone, with exactly the fields you need and none you don't. Whether you're cataloging a wine collection, logging workouts, managing a home inventory, or building something entirely your own, TabulaDB gives you the structure to stay organized without locking you into someone else's template. Start in seconds with built-in templates Choose from seven ready-to-use templates — Home Inventory, Book Library, Movie Watchlist, Wine Collection, Fitness Tracker, Record Collection, and Contacts — or start from a blank database and design it yourself. 15 field types for every kind of data - Text, Integer, Decimal, Date and Date & Time, Checkbox, Rating, Picklist, Currency, URL,, Email, Phone, Image, Color and File Mix and match to capture exactly what matters. iCloud sync, automatically Your databases sync across all your devices via iCloud. Add a wine to your collection on your iPhone and it's there on your iPad. Your data is also protected by iCloud Backup. Reports and insights See your data come to life with charts and summaries. Built-in templates include tailored reports; track workout trends, see your reading pace, visualize your collection by category and custom databases get auto-generated summary cards. Your data, always portable Export any database as a CSV file to open in Numbers, Excel, or any spreadsheet app. Full JSON backups let you export and restore everything — all databases, fields, records, and images — in a single file. TabulaDB Pro — One-time purchase, no subscription The free version gives you 2 databases with up to 100 records each to explore the app. Upgrade once to unlock everything: - Unlimited databases - Unlimited records - Backup and restore - CSV export - Reports and charts - Custom templates A 7-day free trial gives you full access before you decide. TabulaDB is built for iPhone and requires iOS 17 or later.

About

Nodebook

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Nodebook combines a document reader with an infinite mind map. Highlight a passage in a PDF, EPUB, video, audio file or web page, and it appears on your canvas as a node, linked to the exact place it came from. There is nothing to set up. You read, you select a passage, you choose a colour — and the map builds itself. For students, researchers, writers and teachers working with more sources than anyone can keep in their head. READ EVERY FORMAT · Free • Open PDFs, EPUBs, text files and imported web pages, as well as video and audio. • Read continuously or page by page, with chapters and bookmarks. • Every document reopens exactly where you left it. • Documents live on your device. ANNOTATE THE PAGE · Free • Built-in OCR reads scanned books word by word in 12 languages, so a scan highlights like any PDF. • Select an equation, handwritten or printed, and Nodebook renders it as LaTeX. • Write, underline and draw on the page with a stylus, finger or mouse. • Crop any part of a page — diagram, table, photo — and send it to the map. • Insert a notepad mid-page: the PDF opens up for a comment that stays attached to that paragraph. • Six highlight colours let you follow six separate threads. BUILD THE MAP · Nodebook Plus • An infinite canvas with no templates and no limit on nodes or depth. • Drag a single node or a whole branch to reorganise your thinking. • Drop one node onto another to merge them, and separate them later. • Set snippets aside in the drawer, and keep a mini-map in view as you read. • Export the map as a PDF or a FreeMind file, and the outline as a Word document. • Back everything up into one .nodebook file and pick what to restore. OUTLINE AND SEARCH · Nodebook Plus • View the same map as a classic indented outline, and edit titles and text in it. • Search the full text of every snippet, filter by tag or colour, and retag or recolour in bulk. CONNECT YOUR NOTES · Nodebook Plus • Create wiki-links between notes: start typing a title and Nodebook suggests matches. • Click one and a preview shows you the target without losing your place. REVISE WITH FLASHCARDS · Nodebook Plus • Turn any snippet into a flashcard and review it with spaced repetition. • Group cards by area, tag or source, or build your own sets. WRITE YOUR OWN DOCUMENTS · Nodebook Plus • A rich-text editor with headings, lists and quotations. • Draw vector diagrams inside the text, erase single strokes and undo freely. WORK TOGETHER · Nodebook Max • Share a project as a viewer or an editor, and watch the other person's highlights appear live as you work. • Send a file to another account with all your highlights and drawings intact. • Every project keeps a version history with dates and authors, and restores to any point. PLANS • Nodebook is free to install, with the reader and its annotation tools included. • Buy Nodebook Plus once — $39.99 — for full offline functionality, including mind maps creating and editing, flashcards and more. • Subscribe to Nodebook Max for the cloud: sync across your devices, collaboration and version history. $8.99 a month, or $89.99 a year. Max renews automatically. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase, and again within 24 hours before each period ends, unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours earlier. Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Prices are shown in your local currency. Terms of Use: https://nodebook.me/terms Privacy Policy: https://nodebook.me/privacy

Screenshots

TabulaDB4 screens
Nodebook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Nodebook at daily against TabulaDB's every 9 days. Nodebook also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. TabulaDB sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nodebook sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TabulaDB ships an update every 9 days, Nodebook daily. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
TabulaDB versus Nodebook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTabulaDBNodebook
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB143 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBrigg ThorpKamil Zabiegala

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TabulaDB

One-time1
  • TabulaDB Pro$4.99
3 purchases

Nodebook

Subscriptions2
  • Nodebook Max - Monthly14 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Nodebook Max - Yearly14 Days trial$89.991 Year
One-time1
  • Nodebook Plus$39.99

Questions

Is TabulaDB free?
TabulaDB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nodebook free?
Nodebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TabulaDB or Nodebook have ads?
Neither TabulaDB nor Nodebook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TabulaDB or Nodebook?
TabulaDB ships an update every 9 days, and Nodebook daily. Most recently, TabulaDB was updated on October 6, 2026 and Nodebook on October 3, 2026.

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