Kinopio vs Scapple
We give Kinopio a 3.2 GPA and Scapple a 3.0, out of 4.0. Kinopio grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Scapple grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kinopio
Freeform canvas for notes, mind maps and moodboards
Scapple
Freeform mind-mapping app for writers, on Mac and Windows
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAKinopioVery good | 3.0GPAScappleVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$8 a month or $80 a year, which is about what whiteboard apps typically charge. There's a $250 lifetime plan if you'd rather pay once, a bit over three years of the yearly price. Upgrading inside the iOS app costs more than on the website. | A$20.99 once per platform, which is under three months of a typical subscription in this category. The license covers your own computers and those of family at home. Students and academics pay $16.79. Want it on a Mac and a Windows PC? That's two licenses. |
| Free plan and trial | BEvery feature is free, collaboration included, and you don't need an account to start. The limit is 100 cards and 5 MB per upload. Cards you add to an upgraded user's space don't count, which is a nice touch. | CNo free version. The 30-day trial is the full app, and only the days you use it count toward the 30, which is generous. After that you buy a license. |
| Features | BCards hold text, links, images, PDFs and code blocks, and you join them with lines or group them in boxes and lists. Tags link a theme across spaces, and a card can become a todo with a due date. Collaboration is live. But it can't yet be opened offline, and there's no AI, on purpose. | BNotes go anywhere on the page, and dragging one onto another joins them with a line or an arrow. There's no centre and no hierarchy. Stacks, background shapes and labels on connections keep things tidy, and notes drag into Scrivener. It does that one thing fully, and that's about all it does. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record. The idea is simple enough, though: click anywhere and type to make a card. No account is needed to start. | BWe have no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as this goes. It's about as simple as software gets, though: double-click to make a note, drag to connect two. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, an iOS app and a browser extension, plus a public API and hooks like Zapier and Telegram. There's no native Android app. The maker suggests adding the site to your home screen. | BmacOS and Windows, sold as separate licenses, with no web, iOS or Android version. The Windows version, 1.4.2 from December 2022, is behind the Mac's 1.5.4 from November 2025. |
| Best for | arranging notes and pictures on a freeform canvas | loose notes and arrows before you start writing |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Kinopio and Scapple. How we grade
Where they differ
- Kinopio starts at $8 per month, or $80 per year. Scapple starts at $20.99 one-time, per platform (macOS or Windows).
- Kinopio has a free plan. Scapple does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Kinopio lists a web app.
- Only Kinopio lists Linux and iOS apps.
- Only Kinopio lists a browser extension.
- Scapple can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Kinopio also covers notes, linked notes, whiteboard and tasks.
At a glance
| Kinopio | Scapple | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $8 per month, or $80 per year | $20.99 one-time, per platform (macOS or Windows) |
| Free plan | Free: every feature, including collaboration, up to 100 cards and a 5 MB upload file size limit. No account is required to start. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of the full version; only days on which the app is used count toward the 30 |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Kinopio LLC | Literature & Latte Ltd. |
| Price read from | kinopio.club | literatureandlatte.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
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
Worth knowing
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.
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).
Key features
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.
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.
Plans
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.
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.
Ways to pay less
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.
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.
