Comparison

zero vs Cleft

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

Head to head
About

zero

Features
Read full description

Anxious about climate change? Want to take action to manage your climate impact? Talk to zero. zero is an AI agent built to help you understand, reduce, and offset your climate impact. By estimating the carbon emissions associated with your activities and providing an extremely easy way to purchase vetted, high-quality carbon offsets, zero is here to be your trusted agent for climate action. Talk to zero. Protect the planet.

About

Cleft

This app is designed for verbal thinkers to capture their thoughts out loud, without typing. It offers real-time transcription, offline functionality, and smart organization. Ideal for those who prefer speaking their ideas, it provides a frictionless way to record and manage notes.

Highlights
  • Live transcription
  • Offline-first functionality
  • One-tap voice capture
  • Smart organization
  • Markdown export
  • Apple Watch support
  • On-device transcription
Features
Read full description

You're a verbal thinker. Cleft captures thoughts before they vanish. The way you think. Out loud. On device, even offline. Featured in Fast Company's "25 Best New Apps." Capture on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or CarPlay. Wherever a thought lands. "You've built one of the BEST apps for ADHD people." - Jenner, Entrepreneur KEY FEATURES • Spotlight Search - Find any note instantly from anywhere • Fast Transcription - Keeps up with how fast you talk • One-Tap Capture - Voice to text in seconds • Pick Up Anytime - Add to yesterday's thought. Or any note, whenever the next one lands • Siri & Shortcuts - Search notes, get summaries, export by voice • Apple Watch - Record notes from your wrist • CarPlay - Capture hands-free while driving • Recording at a Glance - Dynamic Island, Lock Screen • Keyboard Shortcuts - Fast navigation without leaving the keyboard • Widgets - Pin a thought, resume your last, or capture fresh from your home screen • Offline-First - Works without internet, syncs when connected • Smart Organization - Capture first. Organize never. • Markdown Export - Edit and format your notes • Privacy by Design - On-device transcription, encrypted storage "When I looked at what was written, it was like 'My God, somebody got me here.'" - 73-year-old farrier, first time user BUILT FOR HOW YOU THINK Accessibility isn't a feature here. It's the foundation. Cleft was made by people with ADHD, Autism, and Dysgraphia, for people who think the same way. Capture ideas without losing your flow. No system to manage. Rambles welcome. "Fits my brain like a glove." - Rafa, Founder CAPTURE ANYTHING Meeting notes • Creative ideas • Article drafts • To-do lists • Project docs • Daily journals • Quick thoughts CLEFT PLUS ($6.99/mo or $39.99/yr — annual works out to $3.33/mo) • 30-minute recordings • Customize Cleft - tell it how you want notes shaped • Notion auto-send + Obsidian & Apple Notes integrations • Zapier & Shortcuts automation • Family Sharing on annual - share Plus with up to 6 people "$39 a year for this is ridiculously low." - Legal tech advisor Subscriptions auto-renew until canceled. Manage in App Store settings. AS FEATURED IN Fast Company • The Verge • Lifehacker • GeekWire • TechCrunch • Snazzy Labs Try Cleft Free. Change Log: https://cleftnotes.com/changelog/ Terms: https://cleftnotes.com/terms Privacy: https://cleftnotes.com/privacy

Screenshots

zero3 screens
Cleft4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: zero at none against Cleft's 2. zero also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 17.0). Cleft's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). 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. Cleft sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. zero asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

zero ships an update every 4 months, Cleft monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
zero versus Cleft: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterzeroCleft
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (70 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—80.4% of reviews
Number of ratings—70 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB270 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCole Stites-ClaytonCleft AI

Bugs and requests

zero

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Cleft

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Recording stops working after initial use
  • Inability to append to existing notes
  • Manual sync never works as expected
  • Lack of support for non-English languages

Requested features

6 requests
  • Increase maximum recording time
  • Improve editing and toggling between modes
  • Add ability to retry processing failed summaries
  • Allow custom storage locations for notes and audio
  • Enhance integration with Obsidian and other tools
Show 1 more
  • Expand Shortcuts and automation capabilities

In-app purchases

None

zero

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Cleft

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plus Plan$6.991 Month
  • Annual Plus Plan$39.991 Year

Questions

Is zero free?
zero is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cleft free?
Cleft is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do zero or Cleft have ads?
Neither zero nor Cleft shows ads.
Which is updated more often, zero or Cleft?
zero ships an update every 4 months, and Cleft monthly. Most recently, zero was updated on October 18, 2026 and Cleft on October 20, 2026.

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