Heptabase
Stormboard
| Feature | Heptabase | Stormboard |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $11.99/mo | Free / from $10/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | researchers, students, visual-thinkers, phd-students | facilitators, meeting-leaders, teams, consultants |
| Founded | 2021 | 2011 |
| Whiteboards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Card System | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mindmaps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Journal | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pdf Annotation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sticky Notes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Voting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Reports | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Conferencing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Heptabase Pros
- Visual-first approach to note-taking
- Whiteboards for spatial thinking
- Card-based system is very flexible
- Great for research and learning
✗ Heptabase Cons
- No free plan
- Mobile app is limited
- Steeper learning curve than simple note apps
✓ Stormboard Pros
- Good for brainstorming
- Meeting templates
- AI report generation
- Easy to use
✗ Stormboard Cons
- Limited free tier
- Less polished than Miro
- Fewer integrations
The Verdict
Heptabase is built for researchers and students, with a focus on whiteboards and card-system. Stormboard targets facilitators and meeting leaders and leads with sticky-notes and templates.
Pricing is close: Stormboard starts at $10/mo versus $11.99/mo for Heptabase — not a deciding factor on its own.
Stormboard has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Heptabase requires a paid subscription from day one.
Heptabase edges out on user ratings (4.6 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Heptabase has a slight overall edge — but if good for brainstorming matters most to you, Stormboard may still be the right call.