# Project Runner vs Cairn

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cairn at none against Project Runner's 1. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Project Runner sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. Cairn asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Project Runner against 5.0 for Cairn. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Project Runner ships an update every 3 days, Cairn every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Project Runner | Cairn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/project-runner/id6444589931/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-markdown-tasks/id6786663000/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wonyoung Jang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1613635889) | [Young Hun JEONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786662344) |

## What reviewers say

### Project Runner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/project-runner/id6444589931)

Manage projects and tasks with a user-friendly interface. This app simplifies project tracking, offering a streamlined alternative to overly complex management tools. Get started quickly with minimal instruction.

**Highlights:** Project tracking, Task management, Easy to use interface, Minimal tutorials, Streamlined workflow

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Project Runner Annual | $4.99 | per year |


### Cairn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-markdown-tasks/id6786663000)

Manage tasks and notes directly within your existing Markdown files. This app offers focused views, quick capture, and robust task management features, all while keeping your data private and locally stored. It integrates seamlessly with Obsidian and other file sync services.

**Highlights:** Native Markdown task and note management, Works with Obsidian vaults or any folder, Quick capture with date, tag, and priority parsing, Multiple task views (Today, Upcoming, Inbox, Pool), Full support for sub-tasks and recurring tasks, Local reminders and Live Activity integration, Data stays local, no cloud sync required

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Project Runner free?

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

### Is Cairn free?

Cairn is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Project Runner or Cairn?

Project Runner and Cairn are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Project Runner or Cairn have ads?

Neither Project Runner nor Cairn shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Project Runner or Cairn?

Project Runner ships an update every 3 days, and Cairn every 5 days. Most recently, Project Runner was updated on October 16, 2026 and Cairn on October 24, 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.*