Skip to content
Muse logo

A cozy space for deep thinking and organizing ideas with nested boards and a distraction-free canvas.

Visit Website
Tracked since2026
0 reviews tracked

The Bottom Line

Entry price

Free plan available, paid tiers above

Biggest pro

Facilitates non-linear and intuitive thinking with nested boards

Biggest con

Intentionally lacks complex drawing brushes and text formatting

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

What is Muse?

Editorial review
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.

Available on: iOS, macOS

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

Pricing checked Jun 18, 2026

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

How Muse's pricing compares

At $9.99/mo, Muse is mid-range of its 5 direct competitors ($4 to $14.99/mo across the set).

Muse
$9.99
$14.99

Entry paid plan, monthly. Pricing checked Jun 18, 2026.

Reviews

Improve Your Thinking Patterns Using ChatGPT cover
$99Free with your review

Review Muse, get a free AI guide

Share your experience and we will send you Improve Your Thinking Patterns Using ChatGPT, free.

Write a review

Best Muse Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

View full list →

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

Explore More

Muse FAQ

How does Muse support non-linear thinking and idea organization?

Muse facilitates non-linear thinking through its core innovation of 'nested boards,' allowing users to place whiteboards within other whiteboards. This feature enables the organic growth of ideas and supports complex, non-linear organization of content. Users can collect and arrange various forms of media on a single, flexible canvas.

Which teams or individuals benefit most from using Muse?

Muse is particularly well-suited for intuitive thinkers, designers, researchers, strategists, and storytellers. It is designed for users who prefer visual and spatial organization over linear tools, making it ideal for brainstorming, research, and creative ideation. The app provides a distraction-free environment that prioritizes the flow of ideas.

How does Muse compare to Notion for organizing information?

Muse differs from Notion by focusing on a flexible, non-linear canvas for early-stage ideation and visual organization, whereas Notion often emphasizes structured databases and linear document creation. Muse allows users to collect diverse content on nested boards, prioritizing intuitive spatial arrangement. It intentionally omits features like complex formatting to maintain a focus on broad strokes.

What kind of content can users organize within Muse?

Users can collect and organize a wide variety of content within Muse, including writing, scribbles, notes, images, videos, PDFs, web links, and other files. All these content types can be placed and arranged on a single, flexible canvas. This allows for comprehensive brainstorming and ideation.

Does Muse include a free tier, and how is its pricing structured?

Yes, Muse offers a free tier for users to get started with the product. For those who require more extensive usage and additional features, paid plans are available. The limitations of the free tier include smaller board sizes, and restricted numbers of cards and collaborators.

What are the trade-offs of Muse's design approach?

Muse intentionally omits features such as complex drawing brushes and extensive text formatting to maintain its focus on broad strokes and prevent users from getting bogged down in details. This design choice means it may not be suitable for users who prefer highly structured or linear tools. The goal is to foster a more playful and fluid approach to thinking.

Source: museapp.com

Guides & Articles