App on 1 list
Freeform
Apple Inc. · Free · Productivity · 4.5 (445,322 ratings)
What it does
Apple's flexible canvas. Sketch with a finger or Pencil, drop in photos, PDFs, links and stickies, draw diagrams from 700+ shapes. Up to 100 people can brainstorm on one board. From 6 apps for the thinking you do before the to-do list.
The developer describes it as: “Freeform is now part of Apple Creator Studio, an amazing collection of Apple’s most powerful creative apps designed to help you bring your ideas to life.”
Alternatives to Freeform
The closest alternatives to Freeform are MindNode, Framework, Drafts, Readwise Reader and Obsidian — 5 apps from the list Freeform appears on, “6 apps for the thinking you do before the to-do list”, each answering the same moment a different way.
MindNodeScattered thoughts go on an infinite canvas as a mind map, then flip to Outline view and the same map becomes a structured list. Nodes can turn into tasks when you're ready.
FrameworkFor when you know the question but not the shape of the answer. Pick one of 100+ thinking models — Premortem, Five Forces, 10-10-10 — and the AI fills it in, then pressure-tests your logic.
DraftsOpens straight to a blank page with the keyboard up. Type the thought first, decide later where it goes — actions send the text on to Reminders, mail, a file, anywhere.
Readwise ReaderAll the reading in one place: articles, newsletters, RSS, PDFs, EPUBs. Highlight as you go, so what you read this month is there when you need it.
ObsidianA knowledge base on a folder of plain-text Markdown files, yours forever. Link notes to each other and the graph view shows how your thinking connects.
Price and ratings
| App | Price | App Store rating | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeform | Free | 4.5 (445,322) | Productivity |
| MindNode | Free | 4.6 (314) | Productivity |
| Framework | Free | 5.0 (6) | Business |
| Drafts | Free | 4.8 (10,800) | Productivity |
| Readwise Reader | Free | 4.6 (584) | Productivity |
| Obsidian | Free | 4.5 (2,738) | Productivity |
Freeform and its alternatives, as the App Store listed them on 2026-10-06.
Freeform is free to download from the iOS App Store and holds 4.5 out of 5 from 445,322 ratings, checked on 2026-10-06. Prices and ratings go stale; the App Store is the live source.
No developer website we could verify.