Allume vs Kinopio

Allume

• iPad and Mac users who mix handwriting, text and files on one canvas
• Reading and research: PDFs can be annotated and excerpted onto boards
• Solo thinkers who want their data stored locally and usable offline
• Projects that outgrow a single board and need boards inside boards

Kinopio

• People who think by arranging notes in space rather than in lists
• Moodboards and research boards that mix images, links and PDFs
• Buyers who would rather pay once: there is a lifetime plan
• Anyone who wants a canvas without AI features or ads

Allume

• Allume is offered only for Mac, iPad and iPhone; the vendor lists no web, Windows or Android version.
• The Free plan has a small board size and allows 2 workspaces, 100 cards per workspace and 1 other collaborator per workspace.
• The vendor deliberately leaves out drawing brushes, complex text formatting, and endless canvas zooming or rotation.
• Through Setapp the app is limited to 5 collaborators and needs a Mac, against unlimited collaborators on the Unlimited plan.

Kinopio

• The free tier stops at 100 cards and a 5 MB upload file size, and only upgraded users can create groups.
• There is no native Android app; the vendor suggests adding the site to an Android home screen instead.
• Data is not end-to-end encrypted, and the app cannot yet be opened while offline, though edits made after a connection drops are synced later.
• Upgrading inside the iOS app costs more than on the website, which the vendor attributes to Apple's fees.

Allume

Nested boards

Each board works like a whiteboard that can contain further whiteboards, so an idea or project can grow in place and be organized later rather than up front.

Ink, text and cards on one canvas

Handwriting, typed notes, images, videos, PDFs, web links and other files sit together on a board, and connections can be drawn between cards.

Linked cards and PDF excerpts

A linked card references the same board from several places. PDFs can be read and annotated, and excerpts pull part of a PDF or image onto a board while keeping its source.

Shared workspaces

Collaborators added to a workspace get live cursors, comments, following and templates. The Free plan allows 1 other collaborator per workspace.

Local-first sync

Data is kept locally and synced between Mac, iPad and iPhone. The vendor lists an always-online requirement among the things the app does not have.

Command line app and MCP

Version 4.0 adds a command line app to search, export and add content, plus an MCP connection for AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT. Both are switched off by default.

Kinopio

Cards and connections

Clicking anywhere and typing creates a card. Cards hold text, links, images, PDFs and code blocks, and dragging from a card's connector draws a line to a related one.

Boxes, lists and paint select

Boxes keep related items together and lists stack cards vertically, which suits kanban-style boards. Painting over several items selects them all for a bulk edit.

Real-time collaboration and groups

Invited collaborators see each other's cursors and edits live. A space can be private, public read-only or open to comments, and groups share a set of spaces with a team.

Backlinked tags and linked spaces

Double-bracket tags connect a theme across every space it appears in, and a card can link straight to another space, so related boards stay reachable.

Todos, mentions and due dates

A card or box can be turned into a checkable todo, assigned to a collaborator with an @mention and given a due date.

Import, export and public API

Spaces import and export in several formats, including open JSON Canvas files, and can be saved as PDF. A public API supports custom integrations and tooling.

Allume

• Free$0

  Small board size, 2 workspaces, 100 cards per workspace, 1 other collaborator per workspace and community support.

• Unlimited$9.99

  per month, or $99.99 per year

  Huge board size, unlimited workspaces, cards and collaborators, and priority email support.

• Setapp$14.99

  per month, through a Setapp subscription

  Huge board size, unlimited workspaces and cards, and 5 collaborators. A Mac is required for Setapp; iPad and iPhone are optional.

Kinopio

• Free$0

  All features, limited to 100 cards and 5 MB uploads. Cards added to a space created by an upgraded user do not count.

• Monthly$8

  per month

  Unlimited cards and uploads, billed monthly. Upgraded users can also create groups.

• Yearly$80

  per year

  The same unlimited cards and uploads, billed once a year.

• Lifetime$250

  one-time

  Unlimited cards and uploads for a single payment, with no subscription.

Allume

• Annual discount

  About 17% less on the yearly plan

  Unlimited is $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month. Twelve monthly payments come to $119.88, so paying yearly works out about 17% cheaper.

• Education

  Education discount on request

  The pricing section says students and teachers can email Allume for an education discount. The size of the discount is not published.

Kinopio

• Annual discount

  About 17% less on the yearly plan

  The yearly plan is $80 against $8 a month. Twelve monthly payments come to $96, so paying yearly works out about 17% cheaper.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime plan for $250

  A single payment of $250 gives unlimited cards and uploads with no subscription. The vendor says it added the plan in response to demand.

• Education

  Discount for students and financial need

  Students, and people who cannot afford the price because of where they live or other circumstances, can email the maker for a discount on subscription and lifetime plans.