Comparison

MindStream vs Bento

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

Head to head
About

MindStream

Features
Read full description

Your mind moves fast. MindStream keeps up. Most note apps make you do the work, pick a folder, choose a tag, and figure out where something goes. MindStream flips that. You capture the thought, and it takes care of the rest. Speak It or Type It Have a quick thought? Just type it. Something longer, or a whole torrent of ideas? Enter Flow Mode and just talk. MindStream instantly understands what you've captured, whether it's a task you need to do, an event to remember, an idea worth keeping, or a note to revisit, and organizes it automatically. No extra steps required. Capture Without Friction Voice or text, morning or midnight, getting a thought into MindStream takes seconds. No menus, no categories to choose, no friction between your brain and the blank space. Just capture and move on. Smart Organization, Automatically The moment you save a thought, MindStream intelligently classifies it. Tasks, events, ideas, and notes each get their own treatment, deadlines are recognized, dates are extracted, and everything lands exactly where it belongs. Your brain dumps; MindStream tidies. Brain Search: Find Anything Instantly Forget scrolling through endless notes trying to remember where you put something. Brain Search lets you ask naturally - "what was that idea about the website?" or "tasks due this week", and surfaces exactly what you're looking for. It's like having a conversation with your own memory. Streams: Think in Context Not everything belongs in the same pile. MindStream's Streams separate your Work life from your Personal life from your Creative side, so the right thoughts are visible when you need them. Switch contexts in a tap. Project View: Your Stream, Structured When a project needs more than a timeline, flip any Stream into a Project Board. Organize your cards into stages - To Do, In Progress, Done, or whatever stages fit how you think, and watch scattered thoughts transform into a trackable workflow. Toggle back to your standard stream view anytime. All your thoughts stay in one place; Project View is just a clearer lens on them. Morning Briefing: Start Every Day Clear Each morning, MindStream gives you a personalized summary of what's ahead, your tasks, upcoming events, pinned reminders, and anything that needs your attention. No digging required. Just clarity. Tidy Up: Polish Your Thoughts Raw ideas often come out messy. Hit "Tidy Up" and MindStream transforms scattered thoughts into clean, structured notes with proper formatting, bullet points, and headers, ready to share or act on. Designed to Feel Like Yours MindStream comes in a focused dark mode and a clean, warm light mode, whichever lets you think best. No clutter, no color-coded chaos, no productivity theater. Just a canvas that stays out of your way and makes your thoughts feel important, because they are. Free to start. Pro for power thinkers. The free tier includes 5 AI actions per day with full access to core capture and two streams. Upgrade to MindStream Pro at $7.99/month to unlock unlimited Brain Search, unlimited Streams, unlimited Flow Mode, unlimited Morning Briefings, Project View boards, Tidy Up, expanded storage, and everything you need when MindStream becomes your daily driver. MindStream is for you if: You think faster than you can organize You've lost good ideas because you had nowhere to put them quickly You're tired of apps that feel like homework You want a second brain that actually keeps up with your first one Stop organizing. Start thinking. Download MindStream free today. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when a subscription is purchased. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Bento

Features
Read full description

Bento is a local-first box for the things worth keeping: recipes, links, screenshots, voice notes, PDFs, and places. Stored on your device, fully searchable, no account required. Capture from one simple app. Bento automatically types each save and organizes your library around boxes and the context that matters to you. Use Bento to: • Capture recipes, documents, voice memos, photos, and places • Drop in links, URLs, and copied text quickly • Organize into boxes, then sort and filter by type • Search across everything, including text inside screenshots • Keep private items locked behind Face ID or hidden entirely • Add your own notes without losing the original source Bento is built for personal knowledge, not feeds, followers, or noise. Keep what matters without turning your saved content into another inbox. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Bento Terms: https://usebento.io/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://usebento.io/privacy.html

Screenshots

MindStream4 screens
Bento4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bento at every 3 days against MindStream's every 5 weeks. MindStream's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. MindStream sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per month and Bento sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MindStream ships an update every 5 weeks, Bento every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
MindStream versus Bento: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMindStreamBento
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB119 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEthan GostinDon Kallail

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MindStream

Subscriptions1
  • MindStream Pro$7.991 Month
2 purchases

Bento

Subscriptions1
  • Bento Pro$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Bento Pro Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is MindStream free?
MindStream is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bento free?
Bento is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MindStream or Bento have ads?
Neither MindStream nor Bento shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MindStream or Bento?
MindStream ships an update every 5 weeks, and Bento every 3 days. Most recently, MindStream was updated on September 25, 2026 and Bento on September 8, 2026.

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