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Head-to-head · Idea Management Software

Ideanote vs Sideways 6

  • Updated Nov 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Ideanote #1 in Idea Management Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Ideanote
Sideways 6 #2 in Idea Management Software 9.2/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Sideways 6

Ideanote leads on 0 checks, Sideways 6 on 1, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreIdeanote · 9.4/10
  • Lowest starting priceSideways 6 · $3/user/mo
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Sideways 6

Ideanote scores higher on our rubric for idea management software: 9.4 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

Sideways 6 is cheaper to start at $3/user/mo against $6/user/mo.

Ideanote is the better fit for teams wanting broad, affordable idea management. Sideways 6 is the better fit for microsoft-centric teams on a tight budget.

  • Ideanote fits best

    Teams wanting broad, affordable idea management

  • Sideways 6 fits best

    Microsoft-centric teams on a tight budget

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Side by side

Feature Ideanote 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Sideways 6 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.2
Ranking #1 in Idea Management Software #2 in Idea Management Software
Best for Teams wanting broad, affordable idea management Microsoft-centric teams on a tight budget
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $6/user/mo $3/user/mo (best)
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Browser extension
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Live chat, Docs Email, Community
Compliance SOC 2, GDPR, SSO/SAML ISO 27001, SSO/SAML
Integrations 1,000+ integrations 5 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Ideanote 5/5 · Sideways 6 5/5
Evaluation workflow ✓ ✓
Idea scoring ✓ ✓
Idea voting ✓ ✓
Custom idea fields ✓ ✓
Duplicate detection ✓ ✓
Specs
Submission sources Mixed Mixed
Idea limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan supports up to 10 users and 5 idea collections.
  • Weighted scoring, stage-gate reviews, workflows, and Kanban views.
  • API, webhooks, widgets, integrations, and self-hosted deployment options.
  • Free Lite plan for up to 10 users
  • Microsoft Teams, intranet, web-form, and API submission options
  • AI-assisted improvement and similar-idea detection
Cons
  • The Free plan limits workspaces to 10 users and 5 idea collections.
  • Scale plans support up to 50 users.
  • Ultimate costs $899 per month and is aimed at enterprise needs.
  • Advanced workflows and automations are reserved for Enterprise
  • Analytics and business-impact tracking are Enterprise features
  • The Lite plan is centered on Microsoft Teams
Our verdict

Ideanote is an idea management and innovation workspace for businesses that need to collect, evaluate, develop, and measure ideas. It supports employee, customer, and other audience submissions through idea collections, custom forms,…

Read the review →

Sideways 6 is an employee idea management platform for organizations that need to collect, evaluate, prioritize, and implement ideas. It supports idea campaigns, customizable questions, voting, comments, shortlisting, configurable stages,…

Read the review →
  1. IdeanoteIdea Management Software 9.4Free plan
  2. Sideways 6Idea Management Software 9.2Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Ideanote — where it wins

    • Free plan supports up to 10 users and 5 idea collections.
    • Weighted scoring, stage-gate reviews, workflows, and Kanban views.
    • API, webhooks, widgets, integrations, and self-hosted deployment options.

    Where it doesn't

    • The Free plan limits workspaces to 10 users and 5 idea collections.
    • Scale plans support up to 50 users.
    • Ultimate costs $899 per month and is aimed at enterprise needs.

  • Sideways 6 — where it wins

    • Free Lite plan for up to 10 users
    • Microsoft Teams, intranet, web-form, and API submission options
    • AI-assisted improvement and similar-idea detection

    Where it doesn't

    • Advanced workflows and automations are reserved for Enterprise
    • Analytics and business-impact tracking are Enterprise features
    • The Lite plan is centered on Microsoft Teams

More comparisons

All idea management software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026

Last updated · How we research and update