Clearlist vs Cairn
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Clearlist
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Clearlist – Minimal To-Do List App for Focus, Privacy, and Offline Productivity Clearlist is a simple, fast, and minimal to-do list app built for people who want to stay productive without distractions. It is designed to help you focus on your tasks, organize your day, and clear your mind without creating an account or sharing any personal data. No sign up. No ads. No tracking. No cloud. Clearlist works completely offline and stores everything locally on your device, making it one of the safest and most private to-do apps available on the App Store. A Simple To-Do App That Respects You Most productivity apps today are overloaded with features you never asked for. Complex dashboards, forced logins, internet dependency, and data collection slow you down and break your focus. Clearlist is different. It is a lightweight to-do list app that does exactly what it should. Let you create tasks quickly, view them clearly, and complete them with satisfaction. Key Features of Clearlist • Clean and minimal UI designed for clarity • Super fast task creation and editing • Works fully offline with no internet required • No account, no login, no email needed • 100 percent local storage on your device • No analytics, no ads, no tracking • Lightweight and battery efficient • Smooth performance on all devices • Simple task lists that are easy to manage Privacy Focused To-Do List App Clearlist is built with privacy as a core feature, not an afterthought. Your tasks, notes, and lists never leave your phone. There are no servers involved. There is no cloud sync. There is no data collection of any kind. This makes Clearlist ideal for users who care deeply about privacy, security, and data ownership. If you are searching for a private to-do app, an offline task manager, or a no account productivity app, Clearlist is made for you. Offline First Productivity App Clearlist works even when you are offline. Use it while traveling Use it on flights Use it without mobile data Use it anywhere, anytime Your to-do list is always available instantly with zero loading time. Designed for Focus and Calm Clearlist removes clutter so you can focus on what matters. No social features No distractions No unnecessary notifications No pressure Just a calm, focused space to plan your day and get things done. Perfect for Daily Life Clearlist can be used as: • A daily to-do list • A task manager • A productivity planner • A simple notes replacement • A grocery list app • A habit tracking list • A work task organizer • A personal checklist app Whether you are managing work tasks, planning your day, or organizing your personal life, Clearlist adapts to your flow. Who Should Use Clearlist? Clearlist is perfect for: • Students planning studies and assignments • Professionals managing work tasks • Creators and developers who want focus • Minimalists who love clean apps • Privacy conscious users • Anyone tired of bloated productivity apps Lightweight, Fast, and Reliable Clearlist is optimized to be fast and efficient. It uses minimal storage. It consumes very little battery. It works smoothly even on low-end devices. No background services running. No unnecessary permissions requested. A Minimal To-Do App That Just Works Clearlist is not trying to be a complex project manager or a social productivity platform. It is built to help you do one thing really well. Create tasks. Complete tasks. Clear your list. If you are looking for a minimal to-do app, an offline to-do list, a privacy-first task manager, or a simple productivity app with no login, Clearlist is the perfect choice. Download Clearlist today and experience productivity without noise, without tracking, and without compromise.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Cairn at every 6 days against Clearlist's every 2 months. Clearlist's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Clearlist ships an update every 2 months, Cairn every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Clearlist | Cairn |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hemendra Khatik | Young Hun JEONG |
In-app purchases
Clearlist
No in-app purchases
Cairn
No in-app purchases








