Ariv vs Iris
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Ariv
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Ariv is a local-first second brain for notes, tasks, journaling, study, projects, and personal knowledge management. Capture ideas, organize work, search your vault, ask questions about your notes, and keep your thinking connected without building a complicated plugin setup. Everything is built in: - Markdown notes and daily writing - Smart dashboard for active work - Tasks and Kanban - Quick capture - Voice memos with transcription - Ask Brain, an AI assistant for your notes - Calendar-aware planning and meeting context - Graph view and visual maps - Templates and presentation mode - Unified search across files, tags, and content Ariv is designed around a simple idea: your notes have a life. New thoughts land in your inbox. Active notes stay visible while you are working on them. Older notes move out of the way but stay searchable, linkable, and ready to resurface when you need them. No manual filing system required. No weekend spent setting up plugins. Open the app and start thinking. Your files stay yours: - Notes are stored as plain Markdown - Works with existing Markdown folders and vaults - No proprietary format - No account required to use the local app - Optional end-to-end encrypted sync is available AI is optional and on your terms. Use your own API key, run supported local models, or use Ariv's managed AI add-on. Ask Brain can answer questions from your vault and point back to the notes it used. Whether you are a student, writer, researcher, developer, founder, or lifelong learner, Ariv gives you one place to capture, connect, and use what you know. Think freely. No setup required.
Iris
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Remember what you worked on before the details disappear. Iris is a private, local-first work journal that makes it easy to capture small work updates, keep track of your progress, and build a useful record of what youβve accomplished over time. Record a quick voice note or type an update, and Iris can organize it into clearer highlights, impact, blockers, people, and next steps. As your notes build up, turn your work history into weekly updates, monthly summaries, achievement records, or performance review drafts. With Iris, you can: - Capture quick work notes whenever something worth remembering happens - Record short voice notes and turn them into editable transcripts - Tag notes by project to keep different areas of your work organized - Organize messy notes into highlights, impact, blockers, people, and next steps - See your recent work, activity, and follow-ups from Home - Generate weekly recaps and manager updates - Create monthly summaries and achievement records - Turn your work history into yearly summaries and performance review drafts - Set reminders to build a consistent logging habit Built for the way work actually happens You donβt need to maintain a detailed journal every day. Capture a quick update when something moves forward, you solve a problem, receive useful feedback, unblock someone, or finish something you may want to remember later. Over time, Iris gives you a clearer record of your work β without turning work tracking into another heavy productivity system. Private by design Your journal entries and saved summaries are stored locally on your device. AI features are optional and only run when you choose to use them, including voice transcription, note organization, and summary generation. Iris does not store your raw journal entries or voice recordings. Iris Plus is available for higher AI usage limits and additional summary features. Privacy Policy: https://iris-ai.xyz/mobile-privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ariv at none against Iris's 2. Ariv also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Iris sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Ariv asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Ariv | Iris |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | β | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 β better | 16.4 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ariv Studios | KENNETH CHIN WEI YOW |
In-app purchases
Ariv
No in-app purchases
Iris
- Iris Plus Monthly$3.991 Month
- Iris Plus Yearly$29.991 Year









