Comparison

Idea Tiles vs Spider Notes

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

Spider Notes

Features
Read full description

Spider Notes turns your thinking into a spider web. Start with a central idea and watch related thoughts radiate outward on clean radial spokes, with sibling ideas linked by concentric rings of silk. It is a spatial, visual way to take notes, brainstorm, plan, and revise. FEATURES • Strict spider-web canvas with automatic layout • Pan and pinch-to-zoom for webs of any size • Per-branch colour coding • Recall mode for active-recall study • Light and dark appearance • Export any web as an image or PDF • Private by design, with notes stored locally • Native support for iPhone, iPad, and Mac Spider Notes is free. No account, purchase, or subscription is required. Privacy Policy: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/privacy Support: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/support SUBSCRIPTION AND TERMS Pro is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/privacy

Screenshots

Idea Tiles4 screens
Spider Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Spider Notes at every 4 days against Idea Tiles's fortnightly. 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idea Tiles ships an update fortnightly, Spider Notes every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
Idea Tiles versus Spider Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdea TilesSpider Notes
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLanguageCraftLuke Mclaughlin

In-app purchases

None

Idea Tiles

No in-app purchases

None

Spider Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Idea Tiles free?
Idea Tiles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spider Notes free?
Spider Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Idea Tiles or Spider Notes have ads?
Neither Idea Tiles nor Spider Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Idea Tiles or Spider Notes?
Idea Tiles ships an update fortnightly, and Spider Notes every 4 days. Most recently, Idea Tiles was updated on November 9, 2026 and Spider Notes on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons