Kinopio vs Milanote

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

Milanote

• Designers, filmmakers and writers collecting references and ideas
• Building moodboards and storyboards to share with clients
• Teams of 5 to 50 who want one flat annual price
• Trying every feature on a free plan with no time limit

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.

Milanote

• The Free plan stops at 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads, with images capped at 10MB each.
• Team plans are billed annually only; monthly billing exists only on the per-person plan at $12.50 a month.
• Teams of more than 50 people need a custom enterprise plan arranged through sales.
• There is no separate Pro trial: the vendor points people to the Free plan to try the product.

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.

Milanote

Freeform visual boards

A board combines notes, images, videos, links, files and sketches, arranged freely, so a project's research and plans sit in one view.

Moodboards and storyboards

Templates and guides cover moodboards, storyboards, creative briefs, character profiles, shot lists and other formats used in creative work.

Web clipper

A browser extension saves text, images, links and video from any page to a board. It is offered for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge and Opera.

Sharing and collaboration

Invite clients or teammates to edit, comment on or just view a board, and work together in real time. Shared boards are unlimited on every plan.

Mind maps and whiteboarding

The same boards work as an online whiteboard on an infinite canvas and as a mind mapping tool for brainstorming sessions.

Desktop and mobile apps

Desktop apps for Mac and Windows open Milanote outside the browser with live notifications, and mobile apps cover iPhone, iPad and Android.

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.

Milanote

• Free$0

  100 notes, images or links, 10 file uploads and unlimited shared boards, with no time limit.

• Pro (pay per person)$9.99

  per person / month, billed annually ($12.50 billed monthly)

  Unlimited notes, images, links and file uploads, with images up to 100MB and other files up to 5GB each.

• Team (up to 10 people)$49

  per month for the team, billed annually

  Unlimited content for up to 10 people under one team admin. Annual billing only.

• Team (up to 50 people)$99

  per month for the team, billed annually

  Unlimited content for up to 50 people under one team admin. Annual billing only; larger teams are quoted an enterprise plan.

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.

Milanote

• Annual discount

  About 20% less with annual billing

  The per-person plan costs $9.99 a month when billed annually against $12.50 billed monthly, a saving of about 20%.

• Other savings

  Flat team price for 5 or more people

  The team plan costs $49 a month for up to 10 people or $99 a month for up to 50, billed annually. The plans page labels the two sizes "Save 50%" and "Save 80%".

• Education

  Student and academic discount

  Milanote's help centre says students and academics get a discount by emailing its education address with details of their institution or course.

• Nonprofit

  Discount for NGOs and not-for-profits

  Milanote says it generally discounts plans for NGOs and not-for-profits, decided case by case after contacting support.