Moodis vs Milanote: which fits your workflow?
Milanote is a polished cloud workspace for organising creative projects. Moodis is a local-first mood board app for artists who want their reference boards on their own machine.
They overlap on the surface: visual boards, drag and drop, images and notes on a canvas. Underneath they're built on opposite ideas, so here's the straight comparison.
At a glance
| Feature | Moodis | Milanote |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Desktop app, local-first; optional cloud sync | Cloud workspace |
| Works offline | Yes, the desktop app fully | No, needs an internet connection |
| Free plan | Full desktop app, unlimited boards, personal non-commercial use | 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads |
| Individual paid plan | Solo, €35 once, or Pro, €5/month or €50/year | $9.99/month billed annually, $12.50 monthly |
| Team plan | Team, €50/month for 3 users | From $49/month billed annually |
| Collaborative editing | Pro and Team | Yes |
| Where your boards live | Files on your disk, in a folder you can choose | Milanote's servers |
| Apps | Windows and Linux desktop; web app with Solo, Pro or Team; macOS planned | Web, desktop, mobile and tablet apps, web clipper |
| Canvas items | Images (including GIF), notes, to-dos, colour swatches, columns, links, connectors | Notes, images, links and files, among others |
The core difference: where your boards live
Milanote is a cloud service. Your boards live on its servers, which is what makes browser access and team collaboration straightforward. Milanote's own help centre is clear that you need an internet connection to view and edit boards.
Moodis is local-first. The desktop app keeps your boards and images as files on your disk, in a folder you can choose, and works with no connection at all. Cloud sync is an optional extra on top, not the foundation.
Pricing
Milanote's free plan is capped at 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads. Past that, the individual plan is $9.99/month billed annually ($12.50 if you pay monthly), and team plans start at $49/month billed annually.
The Moodis desktop app is free for personal, non-commercial use, with unlimited boards of up to 10,000 items each. The Solo licence is one payment of €35 once for one person: 9 GB of cloud sync, the web app, unlimited boards on your disk, and your own commercial work, with no sharing. Pro adds share links and collaborative editing for €5/month or €50/year, with 99 GB of cloud storage. Commercial work needs Solo, Pro or Team. See pricing for the full breakdown.
Where Milanote is stronger
- Mobile and tablet apps and a web clipper today. Moodis has no mobile app.
- macOS. Milanote runs there today; Moodis doesn't yet.
Where Moodis is stronger
- Offline. The desktop app works fully without a connection.
- Your files, on your machine. Boards and images sit in a folder you can choose, not on someone else's servers.
- No free-plan quota. Unlimited boards of up to 10,000 items each, with no cap on uploads.
- Privacy. No account needed for the desktop app, no tracking cookies, and cookieless analytics on this site. If you turn on sync, your images are stored in the EU. Our privacy policy lists every provider involved.
Which should you pick?
Pick Milanote if your boards are really projects: briefs, client workflows, teams working together, and you're online anyway or need it on a phone or Mac.
Pick Moodis if you're an artist building reference and mood boards on Windows or Linux, and you want them on your own machine, working offline.
Updated
Competitor features and prices checked September 2026 on each vendor's own site. Prices change; check theirs before you buy.
FAQ
- Can I use Moodis without an account?
- Yes. The desktop app needs no account, no sign-in and no connection. An account is only needed for cloud sync.
- Does Moodis work on Mac?
- Not yet. The desktop app runs on Windows and Linux today, and a macOS build is planned.
- Can I import my Milanote boards?
- There's no Milanote importer today. JPEG, PNG, WebP and GIF files you have saved can be dragged straight onto a Moodis board. If an importer would make the switch for you, email support@moodis.app.
- Is Milanote free?
- Milanote has a free plan limited to 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads. Beyond that its individual plan is $9.99/month billed annually, or $12.50 month to month.
- Can I use Moodis for client work?
- Yes. Solo covers one person's commercial work for €35 once, and Pro or Team add sharing, collaborative editing and team boards. The free desktop app is for personal, non-commercial work. Try Pro free for 14 days, no card needed.
Switch without the 100-item cap
Local boards are free forever, with no cap on boards. Solo adds sync and the web app for €35 once; Pro adds sharing for €5/month.
Desktop
Free for personal, non-commercial use
- Unlimited boards, on your own drive
- Windows and Linux
- No account needed
Pro
14 days free, then €5/month or €50/year
- Everything in Desktop, plus the web app
- 99 GB cloud sync, share links and co-editing
- Licensed for client work
No card needed. Cancel anytime.