# Reader AI vs Caliu

The clearest difference is update cadence: Caliu at weekly against Reader AI's every 3 weeks. Caliu also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Reader AI's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reader AI sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Caliu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Reader AI ships an update every 3 weeks, Caliu weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader AI | Caliu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caliu-markdown-notes/id6761850487/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 210 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thinking Systems LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882858307) | [Marc Torrelles](https://appshunter.io/developer/1712257538) |

## What reviewers say

### Reader AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-ai-markdown-reader/id6760142758)

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader AI Weekly Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Reader AI Monthly Access | $14.99 | per month |
| Reader AI Yearly Access | $89.99 | per year |
| 100 Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| 300 Credits | $7.99 | one-time |
| 750 Credits | $14.99 | one-time |
| 500 Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2000 Credits | $59.99 | one-time |


### Caliu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caliu-markdown-notes/id6761850487)

A minimalist markdown notes app designed for writers, offering a distraction-free writing experience with features like nested tags, reminders, and cross-device syncing. It allows for easy export and integration with external tools.

**Highlights:** Markdown writing with live formatting, Nested and colored tags for organization, Cross-device sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Reminders for notes, Export to various formats (Markdown, ePub, RTF), REST API and MCP server for integration, Customizable themes

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Caliu Pro - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Caliu Pro - Yearly | $17.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader AI free?

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

### Is Caliu free?

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

### Do Reader AI or Caliu have ads?

Neither Reader AI nor Caliu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reader AI or Caliu?

Reader AI ships an update every 3 weeks, and Caliu weekly. Most recently, Reader AI was updated on October 2, 2026 and Caliu on September 30, 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.*