FoldervasAn honest comparison
Freeform is free.
It just doesn't run on Windows.
Apple's Freeform is a lovely canvas, and it costs nothing if you have a Mac, an iPhone or an iPad. But there's no Windows app, and it isn't on iCloud.com either. If you work on Windows, or switch between Windows and a Mac, Foldervas is a visual board app that runs on both.
Final score: Freeform 3 · Foldervas 3
| Freeform | Foldervas | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | FreeformFree. It comes with your Mac, iPhone and iPad. | Foldervas€19, once. VAT included.We can't beat free. We tried. |
| Windows | FreeformNo Windows app, and no Freeform on iCloud.com. | FoldervasWindows 10 or later, and Mac. One licence covers up to three computers. |
| Folders | FreeformFolders and subfolders in the sidebar, outside your boards. | FoldervasA folder is a card on the canvas, next to your notes. Open it and you're in another canvas; hover it to see what's inside; drag things onto it to file them away.This is the whole point of Foldervas. |
| iPhone and iPad | FreeformOn iPhone and iPad too, with Apple Pencil. | FoldervasComputers only: Mac and Windows. |
| Working with other people | FreeformInvite people and work on a board together in real time. | FoldervasYou can email someone a .fvbackup file.That's it. We know. |
| Your boards as files | FreeformBoards live in the app and sync through iCloud. You can export a board as a PDF. | FoldervasEach board is a file on your disk, in a documented format, with Markdown and JSON export. No account. Works offline. |
Use Freeform if…
- everyone you work with has an Apple device
- you want your boards on your iPhone or iPad, with Apple Pencil
- you'd rather not pay anything
Try Foldervas if…
- you work on Windows, or on Windows and a Mac
- you think in folders and want to see them on the canvas
- you want your boards as files you can back up and keep
Folders you can see
In Foldervas a folder sits on the canvas like any other card. Open it and you get a whole new canvas, with its own layout and, if you like, its own theme. Breadcrumbs take you back up, and there's no limit to how deep you go.
Hover a folder to see a small map of what's inside and a count of its notes, images and files. Drag something onto it and it goes in.
The 14-day trial is the full app, with no account or card. Or try it in your browser first.
Freeform details checked on 10 October 2026 in Apple's Freeform User Guide and the list of apps on iCloud.com; they may have changed since. Freeform is a trademark of Apple Inc. Foldervas is not affiliated with Apple. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.