MindNote vs Koku
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MindNote
Visually organize your thoughts and ideas with this intuitive mind mapping application. Create unlimited colorful maps, manage them with folders, and export your work in various formats. Features include auto-layout, outline view, and citation management.
- Unlimited mind map creation
- Folder organization
- Auto-layout for tidy maps
- Outline view
- Export to PDF/Markdown
- Footnote citation management
- iCloud sync
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MindNote is an elegant, simple, smooth, and efficient mind mapping app designed to help you think clearly, plan effectively, and organize your ideas visually. Features: • Create unlimited mind maps with colorful, connected nodes • Organize maps into folders for easy management • Auto-layout to keep your maps tidy • Outline view for a structured overview of your map • Export to PDF or Markdown • Import from Markdown to generate maps instantly • Footnote citation management with support for APA, MLA, Chicago, and more, also with customizable citation formats • iCloud sync keeps your maps up to date across all your Mac and iPhone devices • Supports both light and dark backgrounds for export • Floating quick actions and keyboard shortcut for fast editing Simple to start, powerful as you grow. Download MindNote and start mapping your thoughts today.
Koku
This app helps you focus on tasks with customizable work and rest intervals. It offers a simple, distraction-free interface and integrates with your home screen and Apple Watch for easy access and control. Enjoy deep work without accounts, streaks, or subscriptions.
- Customizable focus and rest sessions
- Classic Pomodoro rhythm option
- Home Screen widget for quick access
- Live Activities on lock screen
- Apple Watch companion app
- Minimalist, distraction-free design
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Koku is a focus timer for deep work. Focus. Rest. Repeat. Set your own session lengths or use the classic rhythm - twenty-five minutes of focus, five minutes of rest, a longer break every four sessions. Each minute is a dot. Watch them fill. - No accounts. - No streaks. - No subscriptions. Just time, and the work in front of you. Add Koku to your Home Screen for quick access - start, pause, and skip sessions right from the widget. Keep the timer visible on your lock screen with Live Activities. Koku also includes an Apple Watch companion app that works with the iPhone app, so you can check your timer and control sessions from your wrist. Designed for iPhone, with an Apple Watch companion. Light and dark mode. Works in any language. Koku (刻) is the Japanese word for a moment of time.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MindNote at 5.0 against Koku's 3.0. MindNote also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.4). Koku's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MindNote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
MindNote ships an update fortnightly, Koku every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MindNote | Koku |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 3.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 26.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zhaoyuan Chen | Rodolfo Alberto Lopez Terriquez |
Customer experience
MindNote
Koku
In-app purchases
MindNote
No in-app purchases
Koku
No in-app purchases









