Apps and tools for a calm, enjoyable life

Milanote

Free

Milanote is an easy-to-use tool for organizing your ideas and projects into visual boards.

Our take

Perfect for creatives who think visually.

Milanote is kind of like a digital corkboard where you can pin up all your ideas, notes, and pretty much anything else you might want to organize visually. The first thing you'll notice about it is just how visual it is. If you're someone who thinks in pictures or needs to see everything laid out in front of you, this could be right up your alley. It's almost like a mood board, but for your entire project. It's super intuitive and easy to drag and drop stuff around, which is a big plus if you're not into fussing with complicated software.

Now, while Milanote's visual style is its standout feature, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. If you're used to more traditional project management tools, you might find Milanote a bit lacking in the structure department. It's great for brainstorming and getting ideas out of your head, but when it comes to tracking tasks or deadlines, you might feel like you're missing a few rungs on the ladder. It's definitely not going to replace something like Trello or Asana if you're looking for nitty-gritty project tracking.

One thing I do like is how collaborative it can be. You can invite team members to view or edit boards, and there's even a comment feature to discuss things directly on the board. This makes it handy for teams that need to collaborate on creative projects or just want a space to dump and sort ideas together. The real-time collaboration works pretty smoothly, so you’re not left waiting around for updates. But, keep in mind, it’s not really a dedicated team chat tool, so if you need more robust communication features, you might need to look elsewhere.

Another neat thing is its flexibility with different types of content. You can throw in images, videos, text notes, links, and even files. It’s like having a digital scrapbook that can hold all sorts of media, which is awesome if you’re a visual storyteller or working on something like a design project. Just be aware that the free version has some limitations on how much you can stash away, so if you’re a heavy user, you might have to cough up some cash for the full experience.

Overall, Milanote is a nifty tool for the right kind of project. If you’re a visual thinker looking for a way to organize your thoughts or work on creative projects with others, it might just click for you. But if you’re seeking something more structured for managing tasks and timelines, you might want to keep looking. It’s all about finding the right tool for how you like to work, and Milanote does a solid job where it counts if you’re into its vibe.