What is Apple Freeform?

Apple Freeform is a whiteboard-like app for collaborating and forming ideas. Think of Freeform as the Apple Notes for whiteboards. You can use the Apple Pencil to help sketch ideas, chat with others on FaceTime calls and collaborate in real time with each other. It works for iPhone, iPad & macOS as an offline, portable whiteboard.

What is the Apple Freeform app used for?

There are some great features for collaborating in Apple Freeform that Apple users should know about:

• Create and design sketches using all the Apple Pencil support.

• Collaborate with others in real-time and see where each other are at inside the document.

• Join a FaceTime call and chat with friends or family, even in small teams about an idea.

• See participants cursors as you present to each other for speedy understanding.

• You can upload images and videos to annotate over together, or on your own.

• Export your ideas into PDFs for further collaboration offline, or online.

Who would benefit most from Freeform?

Here's who'll benefit most from using Freeform:

• Creative thinkers who use an iPad or mac device to bring ideas together.

• Those who want to collaborate with others over something like FaceTime.

• Small teams who avidly using and communicate via FaceTime and need a Miro-like alternative.

Is Apple Freeform good for teams?

• It's also a great visual and flexible tool for teams to collaborate on whilst on Facetime.

• Teams can all work on the canvas at the same time to create a plan, write notes and work together.

• Teams larger than 10 people would find this more chaotic, we'd recommend other tools.

Best Features

What are the best bits about Freeform:

• Collaboration - You can add up to 100 members to a Freeform canvas, this makes real-time collaboration on creative projects much easier. The ability to join via FaceTime makes it a secure option for many people who are in smaller teams who want stability. The latest updates are saved to iCloud so any changes are always updated. You don't just sketch, you can leave comments, add notes on the page for others to look at too, making it a good alternative to Obsidian canvas or Miro for many people.

• Creative Canvas - Apple Freeform presents an open and flexible canvas for users to create without the obstruction of having to open multiple pages, and files or create new spaces. You can easily zoom in and out, move across the page and create sections if you wish. Each user can navigate the page however they want, you don't all have to be in the same spot. You can then connect ideas with tools, add text, use the Apple pencil to draw on an iPad, add sticky notes, import files, add web links and add photos from your device.

Pros

Things we liked about Apple Freeform:

• Easy to use and comes on all Apple devices.

• Great if you already use FaceTime and perfect for growing ideas out.

• Approachable and fun with easy controls & customizations (like stickers).

• Helps you maximize your Apple Pencil even further.

• You don't have to use FaceTime video, you can use audio too for chill.

Cons

Things we didn't like about Apple Freeform:

• Not a good editing experience on iPhone (save it for iPad use).

Verdict

Is Freeform any good?

Our final verdict of Apple Freeform is that it's a great tool for anyone looking to express their creativity to manage their projects, schoolwork, tasks, notes and more.

With the Freeform app, you can really create a space for anything you want, it doesn't need to be study or work-related, it can also be used just for fun. Freeform is a great for team collaboration if that's how you'd like to work together, it's also great for sharing projects quickly and keeping updates stored within iCloud. It isn't a daily planner app, or a to-do list app, but should be more used for teams and individuals to get ideas mapped.

You will love this if you're growing out ideas and need something robust, free & easy to use.

Who is Apple Freeform best for?

• Creative thinkers

• Small teams and collaborators.

FAQ

Common Questions

Here some of the best Freeform questions answered we see across the web:

How Much Does Apple Freeform Cost?

• Apple Freeform is completely free to Apple users with devices updated with versions 16.2 for iPhone and iPad and 13.1 for MacOS.

• Versions before this will not be able to download the Apple Freeform App.

Does Apple Freeform work offline?

• Yes, you can use Apple Freeform with no internet and still sketch.

• There is an issue if you're on FaceTime or collaborating, you won't be able to see each other, or updates with no internet.

Is Freeform Better Than Apple Notes?

• Freeform and Apple Notes are similar in their abilities to collect notes, ideas, thoughts and brainstorm, they are also both free apps to use for Apple users.

• Apple Notes is more of a personal tool for creating a space for all kinds of notes which you can share with friends and family.

• For Apple Freeform is where teams can collaborate in an open canvas with more creative freedom.

• So one isn't particularly better than the other, it just depends on what you really need to use from a note-taking app.

How is Freeform different from Notes?

• Apple Freeform is a whiteboard you can use to bring ideas together with others.

• Apple Note is more of a personal note-taking app for individuals with some sharing abilities.

Why is Freeform on my iPhone?

• Apple Freeform is a default, free app provided by Apple.

• It helps you collaborate with a whiteboard and can be used with others.

What did the Freeform app replace?

• Apple Freeform never had a predecessor, but is very similar to Apple Notes.

Does Freeform have an AppleTV app?

• Apple Freeform has no Apple TV app, but there is Inko which does work.

• Inko has a dedicated Apple TV and seems to be one of the only ones.

Best Apple Freeform Alternatives

Here are some of the best Apple Freeform alternatives for collaborative spaces.

• Milanote - This tool is great for teams and personal use to manage notes and ideas.

• Miro - A great tool for enterprise management and larger teams to visualise their projects and processes.