Comparison

TaskSteps vs Cairn

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

Head to head
About

TaskSteps

Features
Read full description

You have one task. It feels like twenty. You know what you need to do - you just can't start. TaskSteps is the AI task breaker built for brains that freeze at "where do I begin." Type any task exactly how it feels - messy, vague, overwhelming. TaskSteps breaks it into a clear plan matched to your current energy level. WHAT YOU GET: First Action: One concrete thing you can do right now. No decisions, no prep. Just start. Step-by-Step Plan: A realistic sequence with time estimates. Not a productivity fantasy - actual steps sized for how you feel today. Rescue Step: Lost focus halfway through? Every plan includes a re-entry point so you can pick back up without starting over. THREE ENERGY MODES: Low Energy: Fewer steps, gentler asks, shorter time blocks. For the days where getting dressed counts as a win. Normal Energy: Balanced plans with moderate challenge. Your everyday mode. High Energy: More ambitious steps for the days when motivation shows up unannounced. HOW IT WORKS: 1. Type your task in plain language ("file taxes" or "clean the entire apartment somehow") 2. Pick your current energy: low, normal, or high 3. Get your first action, full step list, and rescue step in seconds 4. Check off steps as you go 5. Every plan saves to local history - search past decompositions anytime BUILT FOR YOUR BRAIN: TaskSteps doesn't ask you to build habits, maintain streaks, or set up a productivity system. You open it when you're stuck. It gives you the next thing to do. That's it. All processing happens on-device. Your tasks stay on your phone. Download TaskSteps and turn your next overwhelming task into a first step. 3 free task decompositions to start. Unlock unlimited plans for $4.99 - one time, no subscription. Restore your purchase on any device with your Apple ID. Privacy Policy: https://apps.trygrove.dev/privacy Terms: https://apps.trygrove.dev/terms Help: https://apps.trygrove.dev/help

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

TaskSteps4 screens
Cairn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cairn at none against TaskSteps's 1. TaskSteps's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TaskSteps sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Cairn asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TaskSteps versus Cairn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTaskStepsCairn
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGrove LLCYoung Hun JEONG

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TaskSteps

One-time1
  • TaskSteps Unlock$4.99
None

Cairn

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TaskSteps free?
TaskSteps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cairn free?
Cairn is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TaskSteps or Cairn have ads?
Neither TaskSteps nor Cairn shows ads.

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