Muse (whiteboard): A cozy space for deep thinking and organizing ideas with nested boards and a distraction-free canvas. Muse is a digital canvas designed for deep thinking, brainstorming, and creative ideation. It allows users to collect and organize various forms of content, including writing, scribbles, notes, images, videos, PDFs, web links, and other files, all on a single, flexible canvas. Key capabilities: Nested boards for hierarchical organization of ideas, Single canvas for ink, text, cards, images, videos, PDFs, web links, and files, Dark & Light themes for comfortable viewing, Shared workspaces for collaboration with live cursors and comments, Inbox for temporary storage of cards. Muse ships a free plan plus paid tiers that unlock as usage grows. Buyers most often compare Muse against Capacities, Reflect Notes, Logseq.
TL;DR - Muse
A digital canvas for deep thinking with nested boards for organic idea organization.
Supports various content types including text, images, PDFs, and web links on a single canvas.
Designed for intuitive thinkers, offering a distraction-free environment on iPad, iPhone, and Mac.
Pricing: Free plan available
Best for: Growing teams
Pros & Cons
Pros
Facilitates non-linear and intuitive thinking with nested boards
Distraction-free environment promotes focus on ideas
Supports a wide variety of content types on one canvas
Excellent for brainstorming, research, and creative ideation
Seamless experience across Apple devices with Apple Pencil support
Cons
Intentionally lacks complex drawing brushes and text formatting
May not suit users who prefer highly structured or linear tools
Limited free tier features (small board size, limited cards and collaborators)
Preview
Key Features
Nested boards for hierarchical organization of ideasSingle canvas for ink, text, cards, images, videos, PDFs, web links, and filesDark & Light themes for comfortable viewingShared workspaces for collaboration with live cursors and commentsInbox for temporary storage of cardsSearch and quick-jump to boardsRead and annotate PDFsCreate connections between cards
Pricing Plans
Free
Free
Mac, iPad, and iPhone
Small board size
2 workspaces
100 cards per workspace
1 other collaborator per workspace
Community support
Unlimited
$9.99/month
Mac, iPad, and iPhone
Huge board size
Unlimited workspaces
Unlimited cards
Unlimited collaborators
Priority email support
Warm fuzzy feeling for supporting independent software
Setapp
$9.99/month
Mac*, iPad, and iPhone
Huge board size
Unlimited workspaces
Unlimited cards
5 collaborators
Warm fuzzy feeling for supporting independent software
Muse is a digital canvas designed for deep thinking, brainstorming, and creative ideation. It allows users to collect and organize various forms of content, including writing, scribbles, notes, images, videos, PDFs, web links, and other files, all on a single, flexible canvas. Its core innovation lies in "nested boards," where users can place whiteboards within whiteboards, enabling organic growth of ideas and complex, non-linear organization.
Targeted at intuitive thinkers, designers, researchers, strategists, and storytellers, Muse provides a distraction-free environment that prioritizes the flow of ideas over rigid structure or complex formatting. It's particularly well-suited for users who prefer visual and spatial organization over linear tools. The app is available natively on iPad, iPhone, and Mac, offering a seamless experience with features like Apple Pencil support and local-first data synchronization.
Muse aims to facilitate the early stages of idea development, allowing users to lay out raw materials and connect concepts with ease. It intentionally omits features like complex drawing brushes or endless zooming to maintain its focus on broad strokes and prevent users from getting bogged down in details, fostering a more playful and fluid approach to thinking.
Muse is a digital canvas application for iPad, iPhone, and Mac designed for deep thinking, brainstorming, and organizing ideas. It allows users to collect various types of content like notes, images, PDFs, and web links on a single canvas, and organize them using a unique nested board system.
How much does Muse cost?
Muse offers a free tier with limited features. The 'Unlimited' plan costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year. It is also available through Setapp for $9.99/month, which requires a Mac device.
Is Muse free?
Yes, Muse has a free tier available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. The free version includes a small board size, 2 workspaces, 100 cards per workspace, and allows 1 other collaborator per workspace, along with community support.
Who is Muse for?
Muse is for intuitive thinkers, designers, researchers, strategists, storytellers, and anyone involved in brainstorming, problem-solving, or creative ideation. It's particularly suited for those who prefer a visual, non-linear approach to organizing thoughts and projects.