visualOS vs Milanote · Updated 29 September 2026

A free Milanote alternative without the 100-note limit.

visualOS is an infinite canvas for designers, photographers and artists. It is free in your browser, has no note limit and no account, works fully offline, and can save every board as real files in a folder you own.

Try visualOS free No sign-up. Opens in seconds.

By Sarah Dorweiler and Gerald Reimertz, who build visualOS in Nuremberg

visualOS in the browser: a client board with a design direction note, reference images, a to-do list, a briefing document and nested folders
visualOS in the browser: a client board with notes, reference images, a to-do list, a briefing document and folders that open into their own boards.

The short version

Milanote is a polished cloud tool for creative projects, and if you work with clients or a team in real time, it remains a good choice. visualOS takes the opposite approach: no server, no account, no note cap. Your boards live as folders, Markdown files and images on your own disk, sync through your own iCloud or Dropbox, work anywhere without a connection, and stay fast with thousands of elements on the canvas. The browser app is free; the iPhone, iPad and Mac app is a one-time purchase.

Is Milanote free? Pricing and limits

Milanote’s plans next to visualOS, checked on milanote.com on 29 September 2026.

100 items

Milanote Free

No time limit, but 100 notes, images or links in total, 10 file uploads and unlimited shared boards.

Source: Milanote plans ↗
$9.99/month

Milanote paid

Per person, billed annually ($119.88 a year), or $12.50 billed monthly. Unlimited notes and uploads. Teams: $49 a month billed annually for up to 10 people.

Source: Milanote plans ↗
Free

visualOS

The browser app is free and complete: no account, no limit on notes, images or boards. The native app for iPhone, iPad and Mac is a one-time purchase of €14.99/$12.99 at launch (regular €19.99/$19.99).

Native app: App Store ↗

Why people look for a Milanote alternative

The request and the limits that come up most often, with sources.

1,024 votes

No offline editing

“Add/edit content when offline” is the most-voted request on Milanote’s public roadmap, open since December 2020. Its help centre says the mobile apps need a connection to view and edit boards.

Sources: roadmap ↗ help centre ↗
100 items

The free-plan ceiling

The free plan holds 100 notes, images or links in total, often one serious moodboard. Unlimited use costs $9.99 a month, billed annually.

Source: Milanote plans ↗
Their cloud

Where your work lives

Milanote boards live on Milanote’s servers. You can export them, but your working copy is never a folder of files on your own disk.

Source: Exporting your work ↗

visualOS vs Milanote, feature by feature

Where each tool stands, including the rows visualOS loses.

Feature visualOS Milanote
Works fully offline ✓Local-first: no server, every feature works without a connection ✗Internet connection required, in the mobile apps too; offline editing is the most-voted open request
Price ✓Browser app free; native app a one-time €14.99/$12.99 at launch Free up to 100 items; $9.99/month billed annually or $12.50 monthly
Free plan limits ✓None: unlimited notes, images and boards 100 notes, images or links; 10 file uploads
Your data as real files ✓Boards are folders, documents are Markdown, images are images, on your disk ✗Stored in Milanote’s cloud; available through export
Works without an account ✓Open the app and work ✗Sign-up required
iPhone & iPad ✓Full canvas, offline; Apple Pencil with shape recognition and handwriting search ✓Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android with board editing; need a connection; tables view-only on phones
Version history ✓Automatic rolling versions (about 30 states), one-click restore Trash for deleted content; no version history described in its help centre
Boards inside boards ✓Nested to any depth ✓Yes, one of Milanote’s strengths
Sync across devices ✓Through your own cloud folder (iCloud, Dropbox, …) ✓Through Milanote’s cloud
Sharing with clients Export any view as a crisp 2× PNG and send the file ✓Share links, comments and notifications
Real-time team collaboration —Single-user by design ✓Built for sharing with teams and clients
Templates & web clipper —Not yet; paste or drag material in ✓Template library and a browser web clipper
Windows & Android In the browser; saving to a folder needs Chrome, Edge or Brave ✓Windows desktop app and Android apps

Milanote facts checked on 29 September 2026 against milanote.com/plans, Milanote’s help centre and its public roadmap. Spotted something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.

Two claims, shown

The canvas on the phone and the files on your disk, pictured.

The visualOS iPhone app showing a canvas with a quote card, a document, folders, a sticky note and a to-do list
The visualOS iPhone app: the same spatial canvas as on the desktop, and it works without a connection.
A visualOS folder in the Finder: Markdown, images and a readable board.json for every board. No export step: this is the storage.

Where Milanote is still the better choice

Real-time collaboration. If your workflow is built around sharing boards with clients and editing together, Milanote does this well and visualOS deliberately doesn’t: it is a single-user tool. You can send clients high-res PNG exports of any view, but there are no live links or comments.

Templates and the web clipper. Milanote ships a template library for briefs, storyboards and mood boards, plus a browser extension for collecting inspiration. visualOS gives you an empty canvas; you paste or drag images in.

Windows and Android apps. Milanote has native apps there. visualOS runs in the browser on those systems, and its native app is for iPhone, iPad and Mac only.

What switching actually looks like

No importer and no migration wizard, because there is no database to migrate into. Three steps and you are working.

Open visualOS

In your browser at my.visualos.app. No account, no setup. Connect a folder on your disk if you want your boards saved as visible files (recommended; needs Chrome, Edge or Brave).

Bring your material over

Export images and text from Milanote, then drag everything onto the canvas. Images, PDFs and pasted text become elements instantly. You can also drop files straight into the folder.

Put the folder in your cloud

Place your visualOS folder in iCloud or Dropbox and every device follows along, including the iPhone and iPad app.

Frequently asked questions

Is Milanote free?

Yes, with limits. Milanote’s free plan has no time limit but holds 100 notes, images or links in total and 10 file uploads. Unlimited use costs $9.99 per person per month billed annually, or $12.50 billed monthly (checked 29 September 2026).

Is there a free Milanote alternative without the 100-note limit?

Yes. visualOS is free in the browser with no limit on notes, images or boards, and no account. There is no server whose storage would need rationing: your boards are stored on your own device.

Does visualOS work offline?

Yes, completely. There is no server, so every feature works without an internet connection: on a flight, on a train or on location. Milanote’s help centre says its mobile apps need a connection to view and edit boards, and offline editing is the most-voted request on its public roadmap.

Can I move my Milanote boards to visualOS?

There is no automated importer. The practical route: export your images and text from Milanote, then drag them onto a visualOS board. Images, PDFs and pasted text become elements immediately. From then on, everything lives as real files in a folder you own.

Does visualOS have an iPhone and iPad app?

Yes. The native app for iPhone, iPad and Mac shows the full canvas, works fully offline, syncs through your own iCloud folder and supports Apple Pencil, including shape recognition and handwriting search. The browser version is free; the native app is a one-time purchase — €14.99/$12.99 at launch (regular price €19.99/$19.99), with no subscription. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac.

How do I show work to a client?

Export any view as a high-resolution 2× PNG and send the file. It looks exactly like your board. There are no live share links or comments; if collaborative client review inside the tool is essential to you, Milanote serves that better.

Who owns my data in visualOS?

You do, in the most literal sense: boards are folders on your disk, documents are Markdown files and images are ordinary image files. No account, no cloud database, no export step needed. Read more on the visualOS homepage, or see how it works as a free moodboard maker.

When is Milanote the better choice?

Choose Milanote if you need real-time collaboration with teammates or clients, a large template library, its web clipper, or native apps for Windows and Android. visualOS is single-user by design and keeps its feature set deliberately small.

Try the canvas that’s actually yours.

Free in the browser. No account, no note limit, no sync wheel. If it’s not for you, your files are sitting right there in your folder: take them and go.

Open visualOS