Message Archive vs Cairn
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Message Archive
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PRESERVE YOUR MESSAGE HISTORY Message Archive lets you view and search your archived messages on iPhone. Perfect for preserving conversations or keeping a personal backup of important messages. FEATURES • View all your archived conversations • Search by contact name or phone number • Display photos and media attachments • Sort by most recent messages • Works completely offline • All data stays on your device HOW IT WORKS 1. Import your message archive folder 2. Choose your storage option (offline or linked) 3. Browse and search your message history PRIVACY FIRST Your messages never leave your device. No cloud services, no data collection, no tracking. Message Archive reads your archive files locally - your privacy is absolute. STORAGE OPTIONS Choose between: • Save to Device - Full offline access, uses device storage • Link Only - Access files from iCloud or external location, saves space PERFECT FOR • Preserving important conversations • Creating message backups • Legal or personal records • Keeping message history
Cairn
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Cairn is a text export tool that turns a text conversation into a clean, printable record you can keep or hand to someone who needs it. It works from screenshots of the chat that you add, then rebuilds the conversation in order so you can export text messages to PDF & CSV in a few taps. - Add screenshots of a conversation and let the app read the bubbles and sort them by time - See the conversation rebuilt in order, with sender labels and any gaps flagged, never silently reordered - Save messages to PDF & CSV: a crisp PDF with selectable text you can print text messages from, or a CSV with date, time, sender, and message - Reactions and inline images are carried into the export - Everything happens on your device, and your screenshots never leave your phone iOS does not let apps read your SMS or Messages history directly, so Cairn works from the screenshots you provide, turning them into a fast, accurate backup or recovery record you can print or file away. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTDX9pxPOlUJl_skVUHPi99mAw0y2B2BYd_v1mJkoF3xW3rlOcW5KlYd4t93MMbbGhctSTnBTy7d_l6/pub Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Message Archive at none against Cairn's 1. Message Archive also leads on iOS requirement (18.5 vs 26.0). 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
Both are free to download. Cairn sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Message Archive asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Message Archive | Cairn |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniel Kennedy | Andrii Bashta |
In-app purchases
Message Archive
No in-app purchases
Cairn
- Threadkeeper Lifetime$9.99








