Comparison

Whizz vs Cairn

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

Head to head
About

Whizz

Read full description

This app is versatile, handling everything from simple To-Dos to work task management. Perfect for managing To-Dos like "Someday I want to do" or "Want to do soon" without deadlines. Visualize the progress of tasks you tend to procrastinate, helping you move forward little by little. Features: - Most features are available offline. - One task can be categorized into multiple categories. - View top tasks from multiple categories on a single screen. - Drag and drop with your finger to rearrange or move to the trash. - Completed tasks can be automatically moved to the trash. - You can manage progress by setting maximum and current values. - You can set progress units, such as "Pages" for reading or "Times" for workouts. - Pro plan users can enable data sync across devices (login required). - Login is not required if you don't use data sync. What You Can't Do: - Deadlines cannot be set. - Since there are no deadlines, there are no notifications either. This app focuses on tracking and managing progress, omitting deadline setting and notifications. If you need deadline setting features, please consider other apps (such as calendars). Terms of Use: https://moss.tools/apps/whizz/terms

About

Cairn

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
Read full description

Cairn is a fast, native task and note companion that lives on top of the Markdown files you already own. Point it at your Obsidian vault — or any folder of Markdown notes — and your tasks and notes appear in clean, focused views. Everything you do in Cairn is written straight back to your files as plain text, in the Obsidian Tasks format. YOUR NOTES STAY YOURS • No account, no sign-up, no Cairn cloud database — your tasks live in your own files • Cairn does not send your notes or tasks to the developer • Careful, patch-based edits change only the content you touched, preserving the rest of your note • Works alongside Obsidian, iCloud Drive, Git, or any sync you already use CAPTURE, BROWSE, AND PLAN • Browse and edit Markdown notes directly in your vault • Quick capture into your daily note, with date, tag, and priority tokens parsed as you type • Choose where longer captures are saved • Today, Upcoming, Inbox, and Pool views, plus a global filter for folders, tags, dates, priority, and status • Full support for sub-tasks and task hierarchies • Recurring tasks in Obsidian Tasks format, with safe completion handling • Convert upcoming calendar events into tasks, or mirror your dated tasks into a calendar you choose (optional) STAY ON TRACK • Local reminders for due tasks — including sunrise-relative reminders computed entirely on your device • A Live Activity keeps today's progress on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • Home Screen widgets and a Control Center quick-capture control • Search across every task in your vault MADE FOR OBSIDIAN — NOT ONLY OBSIDIAN Cairn reads and writes the Obsidian Tasks plugin format (due, scheduled, start, and done dates, priorities, recurrence, tags), so your vault stays fully compatible with your desktop setup. Don't use Obsidian? Create a plain task folder in the Files app and Cairn works as a stand-alone Markdown to-do app. Cairn asks for access only to the folder you pick. Calendar access and location (used to compute local sunrise times) are optional and processed on your device. If you choose iCloud Drive or another Files or calendar provider, that provider's own sync and privacy terms apply.

Screenshots

Whizz4 screens
Cairn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cairn at none against Whizz's 2. Cairn also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Whizz sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Cairn asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whizz ships an update monthly, Cairn every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Whizz versus Cairn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhizzCairn
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMossYoung Hun JEONG

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Whizz

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Annual subscription7 Days trial$17.991 Year
None

Cairn

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Whizz free?
Whizz is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cairn free?
Cairn is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Whizz or Cairn have ads?
Whizz shows ads; Cairn does not.
Which is updated more often, Whizz or Cairn?
Whizz ships an update monthly, and Cairn every 6 days. Most recently, Whizz was updated on November 8, 2026 and Cairn on October 31, 2026.

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