# Contex.st vs Cairn

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cairn at every 6 days against Contex.st's every 4 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Contex.st ships an update every 4 weeks, Cairn every 6 days. Both last shipped on September 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Contex.st | Cairn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-markdown-tasks/id6786663000/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 128 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Memetic Research Laboratories LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1814737557) | [Young Hun JEONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786662344) |

## What reviewers say

### Contex.st

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contexst/id6745994409)

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Contex.st free?

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

### Is Cairn free?

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

### Do Contex.st or Cairn have ads?

Neither Contex.st nor Cairn shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Contex.st or Cairn?

Contex.st ships an update every 4 weeks, and Cairn every 6 days. Most recently, Contex.st was updated on September 13, 2026 and Cairn on September 13, 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.*