# Klad vs Cairn

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cairn at 100% against Klad's 50%. Cairn also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Klad's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 5 days) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Cairn holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Klad's written reviews are positive against 100% of Cairn's.

Klad ships an update daily, Cairn every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Klad | Cairn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/klad-git-and-markdown-notes/id6759737357/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-markdown-tasks/id6786663000/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 40 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mauricio Coelho](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880411400) | [Young Hun JEONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786662344) |

## What reviewers say

### Klad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/klad-git-and-markdown-notes/id6759737357)

This app offers a fast, offline-first note-taking experience for developers and privacy-focused users. It syncs notes directly to your own Git repository, ensuring you own your data without proprietary formats or cloud lock-in.

**Highlights:** 100% Data Ownership, Native Git Sync, Frictionless Markdown Editor, Daily Notes Calendar View, Local Organization with Folders, Plain-text Markdown Files

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Klad Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


### 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 Klad free?

Klad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cairn free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Klad or Cairn?

Cairn is rated higher. Klad averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Cairn averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Klad or Cairn have ads?

Neither Klad nor Cairn shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Klad or Cairn?

Klad ships an update daily, and Cairn every 5 days. Most recently, Klad was updated on October 3, 2026 and Cairn on October 1, 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.*