Allume vs Scapple

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

Scapple

• Writers working out plots, arguments or research before drafting
• People who find a mind map with one central topic too rigid
• Scrivener users who want to carry rough notes into a project
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

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.

Scapple

• Scapple is offered for macOS and Windows only; the vendor lists no web, iOS or Android version.
• Each license covers a single platform, so running Scapple on both a Mac and a Windows PC means buying two.
• Minor updates are free, but the vendor says a future major version such as Scapple 2 would be a paid upgrade.
• The Windows version (1.4.2, December 2022) is behind the macOS version (1.5.4, November 2025).

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.

Scapple

Notes anywhere on the page

Double-clicking any spot on the page creates a note there. Notes can be moved and rearranged at any time, and the page keeps growing so there is always more room.

Connections without a hierarchy

Dragging one note onto another joins them with a line or an arrow. No note is the center of the map, notes can stay unconnected, and connections can carry labels.

Stacks and background shapes

Related notes can be stacked into columns, and background shapes group a set of notes visually. The appearance of individual notes can be customized.

Export and printing

Boards can be printed or exported. The release notes refer to PDF and PNG output on the Mac and to plain text, rich text and OPML export.

Hand-off to Scrivener

Notes can be dragged from a Scapple board into Scrivener, the vendor's long-form writing app, to be developed into a draft.

Household license

A license bought from the vendor covers every computer the buyer owns and mainly uses, plus the computers of family members living in the same house.

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.

Scapple

• Standard Licence$20.99

  one-time, per platform (macOS or Windows)

  The full version for one platform, under a household license that covers the buyer's own computers and those of family in the same home.

• Educational Licence$16.79

  one-time, per platform (macOS or Windows)

  The same full version at 20% off for students and academics, who need an institutional affiliation to qualify.

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.

Scapple

• Education

  20% off for students and academics

  The vendor's store sells an Educational Licence to students and academics with an institutional affiliation: $16.79 instead of $20.99 in US pricing, on macOS or Windows.