Comparison

Logseq vs Cairn

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Logseq

This open-source outliner helps you write, organize, and share your thoughts using local Markdown and Org-mode files. Manage tasks, build a digital garden, and integrate with various services for enhanced productivity.

Highlights
  • Backlinks
  • Knowledge Graph
  • Page and block references
  • Tasks & Todos
  • SRS Cards
  • Zotero integration
  • Audio recorder
Read full description

Logseq is a joyful, open-source outliner that works on top of local plain-text Markdown and Org-mode files. Use it to write, organize and share your thoughts, keep your to-do list, and build your own digital garden. Logseq includes the following features: 1. Backlink 2. Knowledge Graph 3. Page and block references 4. Page and block embeds 5. Tasks & Todos 6. SRS Cards 7. Zotero integration 8. Youtube, Twitter, etc. integration 9. Audio recorder 10. Powerful queries 11. Whiteboards

About

Cairn

Features
Read full description

Focus that leaves something behind.Cairn is a calm Pomodoro and deep-work timer. Finish a focus session and it forges a small, one-of-a-kind keepsake — a piece of generative art that's yours to keep, forever.No streaks to guilt you. No trees that die. No ads, no subscription, no tracking. Buy it once.Plant a focus. Grow a garden of your work.Every completed session blooms into a unique keepsake and joins your terrarium — a quiet, growing record of the time you gave your attention. Each one is deterministic and permanent: the same focus always grows the same object, and it never withers.Why Cairn feels different• A keepsake, not a chore. Reward without the gamified guilt — nothing dies if you stop.• Buy once, keep forever. One purchase unlocks everything. No subscription, ever.• Private by design. 100% on-device. No account, no ads, no tracking, works offline.• Calm, not hustle. Built for deep work, study, and reading — not dopamine loops.Everything you'd want in a focus timer• Pomodoro and custom-length sessions for study, work, and reading• A living garden/terrarium of everything you've grown• A diary calendar and honest stats — hours, rhythm, materials• Home & Lock Screen widgets, Live Activity & Dynamic Island, Control Center• Apple Watch app with complications — start a focus from your wrist• Full iPhone + iPad, light & dark, and accessibility supportCairn Pro — one purchase, foreverUnlock every material, palette, and the full garden with a single buy-once purchase. No subscriptions, no upsells.Focus is fleeting. What you make of it doesn't have to be.

Screenshots

Logseq4 screens
Cairn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Logseq at none against Cairn's 1. Logseq also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cairn sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Logseq asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Logseq versus Cairn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLogseqCairn
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (265 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews58.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings265 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS14.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLogseq Inc.Pham Van Hai

Bugs and requests

Logseq

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Sync issues leading to data loss
  • Inconsistent behavior when creating new blocks
  • Cursor jumping issues when editing text
  • Disappearing UI elements on mobile

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for other cloud storage options (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
  • Improve mobile UI and UX for better usability
  • Implement plugin support on mobile
  • Optimize performance for older devices

Cairn

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Logseq

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cairn

One-time1
  • Cairn Pro · Lifetime Unlock$1.99

Questions

Is Logseq free?
Logseq is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cairn free?
Cairn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Logseq or Cairn have ads?
Neither Logseq nor Cairn shows ads.

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