Stash vs Reflect: Which One Should You Use?
Last updated: October 18, 2026
Use Stash if you want to dump receipts, files and emails in one place with zero setup, then find them later by asking. Use Reflect if you want a daily-notes app with backlinks for writing and thinking on your Mac or iPhone.
Stash is an AI document vault from Hive Asset Group, LLC that takes receipts, files, notes and forwarded emails, files them for you, and lets you find anything by asking in plain words.
TL;DR
- Reflect is a notes app. You write daily notes, link ideas with backlinks and keep your thinking in plain Markdown files.
- Stash is a vault. You dump things in. Stash names them, files them and answers when you ask.
- Stash needs no setup. No folders, no tags, no links to make.
- Reflect is better for writing, linking ideas and keeping notes as files you own. Stash does not try to do that job.
- Stash is better for receipts, contracts, PDFs, photos and forwarded emails.
- Both are cheap to try. Stash is free for 100 things. The Reflect Mac app is free, and its AI runs on your own API key.
Stash vs Reflect at a glance
| Stash | Reflect | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for 100 things, no card. Pro is $90 a year | The Mac app is free. The iPhone and iPad app is a paid subscription (the App Store lists Reflect Pro at $9.99 a month or $99 a year). Reflect Classic: see Reflect's site |
| Setup needed | None. No folders to set up | Light. You write daily notes and make your own links |
| How you capture | Drop in files and photos, or forward an email to your own Stash address | Type daily notes, clip web pages with the Chrome extension, record audio memos |
| How you find things | Ask in plain words. Stash answers and shows what it used | Local search, plus AI chat over your notes with your own API key |
| AI | Included in your plan | Optional. You add your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or OpenRouter key and pay that provider |
| Where it runs | On the web, plus email forwarding | Mac, iPhone and iPad. Windows and Android are not available yet |
| Best for | Receipts, contracts, warranties, forms and files you need to find fast | Daily notes, linked ideas and plain Markdown notes |
Pick Reflect if...
- You write a lot. Daily notes, backlinks and a clean editor are what Reflect is made for.
- You like to link ideas together and see how your notes connect.
- You want your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder you choose. Reflect Open keeps notes on your computer and syncs through iCloud Drive or Git.
- You use a Mac, iPhone or iPad. That is where Reflect runs.
- You want AI on your terms. You bring your own key, and you can mark a note private so it is not sent to AI.
- You want a free app. The Mac app costs nothing, and the code is open source.
Reflect does these jobs well. Stash does not try to do them.
Pick Stash if...
- Your real problem is paper. A receipt in Gmail, a contract in your downloads folder, a warranty photo in your camera roll.
- You are a freelancer or solo founder and you need your receipts when tax time comes.
- You want to drop things in and walk away. Stash reads each item, names it and files it. If it cannot tell where something goes, it puts it in Needs you instead of guessing.
- You want to find things by asking, like "what did I pay to fix the dishwasher?"
- You do not want to write notes or build links. There is nothing to build, so there is nothing to fall behind on.
- You do not want to manage an API key. AI is part of your Stash plan.
How capture works
With Stash, you drop in a receipt, a PDF, a photo or a voice file. Or you forward an email. Every account gets its own email address, so a booking confirmation or a contract email can go straight in. That is the whole routine.
With Reflect, capture starts with today's note. You type, link and tag as you go. You can also clip a page from Chrome or record an audio memo. It is quick, and it suits people who think by writing.
How finding things works
Stash is made for the panic moment. Ask for what you need, and Ask reads your library and answers in plain words, with the things it used shown underneath. No remembering which note you wrote it in.
Reflect has search on your device, and an AI chat that answers from your notes with links back to the source. For that you connect your own API key. Its answers are only as good as the notes you wrote.
What about price?
Stash is free for 100 things, no card. Pro is $90 a year, and it holds 2,000 things. If you hit the free limit, nothing you already have is touched, and it all stays searchable. See the Stash pricing page.
Reflect's Mac app is free. On iPhone and iPad, the App Store lists Reflect Pro at $9.99 a month or $99 a year. AI costs are billed by your own provider. People who already pay for Reflect Classic can get a year of the iPhone and iPad app free. Check Reflect's site and the App Store for the latest.
Can I use both?
Yes. Reflect for the notes you write and the ideas you link. Stash for the paper in your life. If you are also weighing other tools, see our best Reflect alternatives. Coming from a bigger workspace? Read Stash vs Notion or the best Notion alternatives. If you are a freelancer, see how to organize receipts without folders.
FAQ
- Is Stash a Reflect alternative?
- For one job: keeping and finding your stuff. Reflect is a notes app for daily notes and linked ideas. Stash is a vault for receipts, files, notes and emails, with zero setup. If your main need is the second one, Stash is the simpler pick.
- Is Reflect free?
- The Reflect Mac app is free and open source. The iPhone and iPad app is a paid subscription, and the App Store lists Reflect Pro at $9.99 a month or $99 a year. If you use AI, you pay your own provider. Check their site for current prices.
- Is Stash free?
- Yes. You get 100 things for free, forever, and you do not need a card. Pro is $90 a year.
- Do I have to set anything up in Stash?
- No. You do not make folders or tags. You drop things in, and Stash names them and files them. Items it cannot place go in Needs you.
- Can I email receipts to Stash?
- Yes. Every Stash account gets its own email address. Forward a receipt, a booking confirmation or a contract email, and it goes in with everything else. Check that the attachment is still on the message before you hit send. Our guide to forwarding emails has the details.
- Can I take my things out of Stash?
- Yes. Export is open on every plan, so you can take everything with you whenever you want.