Glimpse vs Near
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Glimpse
This app allows you to quickly preview HTML reports, Markdown notes, and zipped web exports received on your device. You can save files locally, organize them with search and filters, and read them with customizable viewing options. It's ideal for AI reports, web presentations, and personal notes.
- Preview HTML, Markdown, TXT, and ZIP files
- Browse documents as thumbnail cards
- Search filenames and apply filters
- Save and manage local files
- Customizable reading modes (dark mode, font size)
- Desktop mode for HTML viewing
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Glimpse is a lightweight viewer for HTML reports, Markdown notes, and zipped web exports. Open files received on your phone from Files or the system share sheet, save them locally, and return to them whenever you need. Features: • Browse your documents as thumbnail cards • Search filenames and combine Favorites with Markdown or HTML filters • Preview HTML, Markdown, TXT, and ZIP web bundles • Preview and save files directly from the share sheet • Keep a local history, favorite important files, and delete local copies from a card’s context menu • Read Markdown with an outline, adjustable font size and line spacing, and dark mode • View HTML with zoom, portrait or landscape orientation, and desktop mode • Dynamic scripts and external content are disabled by default and can be enabled when needed • Read on iPhone and iPad with sidebar navigation • English and Chinese interfaces with matching HTML and Markdown samples and illustrated guides Imported files are stored locally on your device. Glimpse is useful for AI reports, web presentations, meeting materials, personal notes, and development demos.
Near
Organize your daily tasks, notes, and reminders with customizable templates and presets. Easily capture information from various sources and display important details on your lock screen and wrist. Prioritize what matters with a privacy-focused, offline-capable action hub.
- 22 templates and 18 role presets
- Customizable entry points
- Live Activity and Dynamic Island support
- Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
- Apple Watch views
- Offline functionality
- Encrypted local storage
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Your privacy-friendly action hub What matters, visible now. • 22 templates, 18 role presets and customizable entry points. • Pickup, meal and parking tasks can stay open until you complete them. • Create share cards in your theme; parents can keep appointment and vaccination records. Paste text, share it from another app, or enter details yourself. Near organizes supported formats on your device, and you review the result before saving. No account or advertising. CARDS FOR EVERYDAY MOMENTS • Train and flight details, parcel and meal pickup codes, queue numbers and QR or barcodes • Shopping lists and to-dos, with import from Apple Reminders and supported reminder times • Text notes, movie details, parking information, reminders and timers ON YOUR SCREEN AND WRIST • Show the current action as a Live Activity on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island on supported iPhones • Home Screen widgets in three sizes, Lock Screen widgets and Apple Watch views • Notes put the words first; checklists keep the next item clear • Automatic tasks follow start time. A task you put first stays current until it ends, then the next eligible task starts. A card’s lead time overrides the default. Scheduled alerts may temporarily take over. YOUR OWN STYLE Nine themes, clearer forms and ticket or record sharing styles suited to different card types. LOCAL CONTENT Card content is processed on your device and pickup codes are stored encrypted. Core card features work offline. This version contains no analytics SDK and sends no usage statistics. Device backups follow your Apple backup settings. LANGUAGE AND SYSTEM SUPPORT The interface follows your system language and supports 20 languages. Recognition uses local rules for supported formats; review the result or use manual entry for other formats. Text recognition depends on Apple Vision language support. iOS 26 reminders can use system alarms with permission; older versions use notifications. Automatic background scheduling of eligible timed to-dos requires iOS 26 and Live Activity permission; older systems update when the app runs. Live Activities, the Dynamic Island and Watch features depend on your device and permissions. Flight details are saved information, not live status. Check airport displays and airline notices for changes. More everyday reminders Save the time and place of a date, payment amounts and due dates for credit cards and bills, and yearly anniversaries using the Gregorian or Chinese lunar calendar. Use the default advance display or adjust each card. Less typing Recognize supported notifications, tickets and screenshots on device. Shortcuts receive the text or images you supply, saving clear results automatically and asking you to review uncertain fields. View multiple uncollected codes at the same pickup point. Message automation must be configured in Apple Shortcuts with the message body connected as input. Clearer cards and guidance Key details take priority. Pickup status and action buttons are distinct; collecting a parcel removes its code. Themes, ambient scenes, feature demos and illustrated tutorials help you get started. Choose a trash retention period; automatic cleanup runs when the app performs maintenance.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Near at Free against Glimpse's $4.99. Near also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Glimpse's advantage is chart position (#174 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases 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
Near is free to download; Glimpse costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Glimpse ships an update every 3 weeks, Near every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Glimpse | Near |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 4.9 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 95.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #174 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | 浩 郭 | 毓凯 林 |
Customer experience
Glimpse
Near
In-app purchases
Glimpse
No in-app purchases
Near
No in-app purchases









