Comparison

Idea Tiles vs YouNotes

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

Head to head
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.

About

YouNotes

This digital note-taking app helps you organize thoughts for learning, work, and creativity. Create personalized notebooks, draw on a freeform canvas, and brainstorm with mind maps. It offers a smooth and reliable experience for all your note-taking needs.

Highlights
  • Personalized notebooks with custom covers
  • Freeform canvas for writing and drawing
  • Whiteboard mode with zooming
  • Mind map creation for idea organization
  • Insert images, text, and shapes
  • Flexible editing tools
Features
Read full description

YouNotes is a digital note-taking app designed for learning, work, and creative thinking. Everything you need is in one place—notes, PDF annotation, an infinite whiteboard, mind maps, text documents, and more. In addition to Apple's built-in drawing tools, YouNotes provides a complete set of creative tools including Lasso Selection, Text, Mind Map, Shapes, and a Laser Pointer, making handwriting, annotation, organization, and layout feel more natural and intuitive. With YouNotes, you can enjoy: • Infinite Canvas Combine mind maps, handwritten notes, images, stickers, and shapes on an unlimited canvas where your ideas can grow without boundaries. • Mind Maps Create expressive mind maps by freely mixing text, images, and handwriting, making your ideas more visual, flexible, and engaging. • Seamless Sync Across Devices Works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud Sync, so your notes are always available wherever you are. • Multiple Interaction Modes Choose between Apple Pencil Mode, Finger Drawing Mode, and Reading Mode to match the way you like to work. • Teaching & Presentations Use the built-in Laser Pointer to highlight important content during classes, meetings, or presentations. • Dark Mode Enjoy a comfortable viewing experience at night while reducing eye strain and helping extend battery life. From a simple idea, to a single page of notes, to an entire knowledge system, YouNotes is designed to be your quiet, reliable creative companion—helping every thought become clearer and every note more meaningful. Looking Ahead Traditional note-taking is about recording information, organizing it yourself, and searching for answers on your own. As YouNotes continues to evolve, my vision is to transform it into an AI-powered notebook built for the future. More than just a place to write, YouNotes will integrate powerful AI capabilities that actively support your learning—from capturing ideas to understanding concepts, from asking questions to finding answers. Every note will become more valuable as AI helps organize knowledge, explain complex topics, and solve problems—like having a personal tutor by your side whenever you need one. Privacy Policy: https://younote.aiyue.pro/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Idea Tiles4 screens
YouNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Idea Tiles at none against YouNotes's 2. YouNotes's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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

Both are free to download. YouNotes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Idea Tiles asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idea Tiles ships an update fortnightly, YouNotes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Idea Tiles versus YouNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdea TilesYouNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLanguageCraftYangjiang AiYue Information Technology Co., LTD

In-app purchases

None

Idea Tiles

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

YouNotes

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Membership$2.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Membership$5.99

Questions

Is Idea Tiles free?
Idea Tiles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is YouNotes free?
YouNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Idea Tiles or YouNotes have ads?
Neither Idea Tiles nor YouNotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Idea Tiles or YouNotes?
Idea Tiles ships an update fortnightly, and YouNotes every 10 days. Most recently, Idea Tiles was updated on September 21, 2026 and YouNotes on September 22, 2026.

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