# BrainDrops vs Caliu

The clearest difference is update cadence: Caliu at weekly against BrainDrops's every 33 months. Caliu also leads on device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BrainDrops sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Caliu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BrainDrops ships an update every 33 months, Caliu weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainDrops | Caliu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caliu-markdown-notes/id6761850487/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **5** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 33 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 4 MB | 197 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Markus Fox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1619106950) | [Marc Torrelles](https://appshunter.io/developer/1712257538) |

## What reviewers say

### BrainDrops

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/braindrops-collecting-wisdom/id1668063916)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |


### Caliu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caliu-markdown-notes/id6761850487)

A minimalist markdown notes app designed for writers, offering a distraction-free writing experience with features like nested tags, reminders, and cross-device syncing. It allows for easy export and integration with external tools.

**Highlights:** Markdown writing with live formatting, Nested and colored tags for organization, Cross-device sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Reminders for notes, Export to various formats (Markdown, ePub, RTF), REST API and MCP server for integration, Customizable themes

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Caliu Pro - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Caliu Pro - Yearly | $17.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrainDrops free?

BrainDrops is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Caliu free?

Caliu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do BrainDrops or Caliu have ads?

Neither BrainDrops nor Caliu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrainDrops or Caliu?

BrainDrops ships an update every 33 months, and Caliu weekly. Most recently, BrainDrops was updated on October 4, 2026 and Caliu on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*