# Cleft vs Kairos

The clearest difference is monetization model: Cleft at freemium against Kairos's subscription. Cleft also leads on ratings volume (70 vs 3) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.5). Kairos's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cleft sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Kairos sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Kairos holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cleft has 70 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Cleft ships an update monthly, Kairos every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cleft | Kairos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cleft-for-verbal-thinkers/id6479458038/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kairos-shift-tracker/id6792157855/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **70** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 80.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Size | 270 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cleft AI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1736012358) | [BOAZ TIMOTHY WHEALY](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791718585) |

## What reviewers say

### Cleft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cleft-for-verbal-thinkers/id6479458038)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plus Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Annual Plus Plan | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent transcription quality
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Helpful summarization and formatting
- 🚀 Seamless cross-device experience
- 👍 Responsive and helpful support team

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable recording and syncing issues
- 🐛 Glitchy and unusable after recent update
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and frequent errors

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Kairos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kairos-shift-tracker/id6792157855)

This app helps shift workers and their families stay synchronized by providing a clear, shareable schedule. It allows users to easily track rotations, see real-time duty status, and receive notifications about upcoming shifts. Designed for professionals with complex schedules, it aims to eliminate guesswork and keep everyone informed.

**Highlights:** Shareable shift calendar, Real-time duty status, Customizable shift rotations, Home screen widgets, Apple Watch support, Multiple calendar tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kairos Pro - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Kairos Pro - Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cleft free?

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

### Is Kairos free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cleft or Kairos?

Kairos is rated higher. Cleft averages 4.7 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while Kairos averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Cleft or Kairos have ads?

Neither Cleft nor Kairos shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cleft or Kairos?

Cleft ships an update monthly, and Kairos every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cleft was updated on October 20, 2026 and Kairos on October 29, 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.*