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Allume

Formerly Muse, a calm canvas of nested boards for thinking on iPad, iPhone and Mac.

Free plan + paidOnline whiteboards
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About Allume

Allume, previously called Muse, is a canvas app for individual thinking and small-group collaboration on iPad, iPhone and Mac. Instead of one huge zoomable whiteboard, it uses nested boards: you put notes, ink, images, PDFs, links and videos on a board, then place boards inside other boards to organise a project the way you would with folders. It takes Apple Pencil support seriously, lets you read and annotate PDFs on the canvas, connect cards and export boards as PDF or PNG. The app is deliberately minimal, leaving out complex text formatting and endless zoom so you focus on ideas rather than polishing. Data is local-first with sync between devices, and version 4 added AI support through MCP. A free tier limits board size, workspaces, cards and collaborators, while a paid plan removes those limits. It runs only on Apple devices, and it is not built for big team workshops, but for researchers, writers and designers who think visually it is a thoughtful tool.

Best for: Individual thinkers and researchers on iPad and Mac who like nested, minimal boards.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Nested boards keep big projects organised
  • Excellent Apple Pencil and PDF annotation
  • Local-first data with sync

Why people leave

  • Apple devices only
  • Free tier limits cards and workspaces
  • Not designed for large team workshops

Top Allume alternatives

See all 4
  1. 1Freeform logo
    Freeform

    Free Apple canvas with real-time iCloud collaboration.

    66.5
  2. 2Milanote logo
    Milanote

    Nested creative boards that also work on Windows, Android and the web.

    62.6
  3. 3tldraw logo
    tldraw

    A free browser canvas for quick sketches with anyone.

    59.6
  4. 4Excalidraw logo
    Excalidraw

    Free open-source sketching in any browser.

    57.2

Why people left Allume

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Allume: common questions

Is Allume free?

Allume has a free plan and paid plans. Free tier: 2 workspaces, 100 cards each (checked on Allume's own site).

Is Allume open source?

No, Allume is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Excalidraw.

What platforms does Allume run on?

Allume is available for iOS and macOS.

What are the best alternatives to Allume?

The highest-ranked Allume alternatives right now are Freeform, Milanote and tldraw. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 Allume alternatives