Mimir vs. Reflect
Mimir vs. Reflect Open: two daily-notes outliners with notes on your device. Sync, price on mobile, AI, and which to choose.
Reflect is a daily-notes app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad that links notes
with [[brackets]] and opens on today’s note. On 2026-07-14 it was rebuilt
as Reflect Open: a free, open-source Mac app that keeps notes as Markdown
files in a folder you choose. That makes it one of the apps closest to
Mimir. Writing feels much the same in both. The differences are in where
your notes are kept, how they sync, and what each app adds around the
writing.
Checked on 2026-10-11.
Which to choose
Choose Mimir if you want it free on iPhone and iPad as well as the Mac, and sync you buy once. Cloud Sync encrypts your notes on your device before it sends them. Reflect lists a subscription for its iPhone and iPad apps, and Reflect Open’s sync relies on iCloud Drive or Git.
Choose Reflect if you want Markdown files in a folder you choose, AI chat over your notes, voice memos with transcription, or search by meaning.
Writing feels much the same in both. Decide on sync, price on mobile, and AI.
At a glance
| Mimir | Reflect Open | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Where notes live | One database file on your device | A folder of Markdown files you choose |
| Price | Free. Cloud Sync is a one-time purchase. | Free on Mac. $9.99 a month or $99 a year on iPhone and iPad. |
| Status | Active | Reflect Open: new, in beta. Reflect Classic: maintenance. |
Where Reflect is heading
Reflect Open came out as a beta on 2026-07-14, and new work happens there. The older app, now called Reflect Classic, keeps your notes on Reflect’s servers. It stays available with bug fixes, and moving to Reflect Open is optional. Reflect Open doesn’t yet have everything Classic has: publishing, a web app, and some integrations are missing. There are no Windows or Android versions and no dates for them.
Price
Reflect Open is free on a Mac. On iPhone and iPad, Reflect lists a paid subscription: Reflect Pro, at $9.99 a month or $99 a year on the US App Store. An existing Reflect Classic subscription carries over. AI features use your own key from an AI provider, and that provider bills you separately.
Mimir is free on every device. Syncing between devices is the one paid feature, a one-time purchase rather than a subscription.
What they share
- Today’s note as the place the app opens.
- Bullets you indent, outdent, fold, and move.
[[Wikilinks]], and a list of what links to each note.- Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
- Notes on your own device, with no account.
Where they differ
- Reflect Open syncs through iCloud Drive or a Git repository. It adds no encryption of its own, and relies on iCloud’s. Mimir’s Cloud Sync encrypts your notes on your device before it sends them.
- Reflect has optional AI chat over your notes, voice memos with transcription, and on-device meaning-based search. You can mark a note private to keep it from AI. Mimir has no AI built in.
- Reflect’s notes are Markdown files you can open in any editor. Mimir keeps everything in one database file and exports to Markdown on a Mac.
What people say
Reflect Open is too new for many reviews. Long-time users on the Outliner Software forum welcomed the move to local files. Some also wondered whether a free desktop app can keep the company going.
On iPhone and iPad, Reflect Open is on the App Store, at version 0.14.0 from 2026-09-29. It doesn’t have enough ratings yet for the App Store to show a score.