Dawn vs Enso
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dawn
This app provides a beautiful and calm environment for reading and editing Markdown files on iPhone and iPad. It renders raw Markdown into a readable format with clean typography and offers in-line editing capabilities. It supports various Markdown features, including tables, math, and diagrams, and works offline.
- Read and edit Markdown files
- AI assistant for Markdown rendering
- In-line editing with formatting bar
- Render math formulas and diagrams
- Supports CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown
- Customizable text sizing and themes
- Outline for easy navigation
- Works with Files app and iCloud Drive
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Dawn is the calm, beautiful place to read Markdown on iPhone and iPad. And now, to edit it right where you read. Your AI assistant answers in Markdown: headings, lists, code, tables. On a phone, that usually shows up as a wall of raw symbols. Open it in Dawn and it becomes a page worth reading: clean margins, real hierarchy, a comfortable line length, and type set the way a good book is. And it isn't only AI. Your notes, your READMEs, your documents — any .md file reads beautifully here. EDIT ON THE PAGE • Double-tap any line to start writing exactly there — no separate editor, no raw symbols • Bold, italic, headings, lists, checklists, links, quotes, and code from a slim bar above the keyboard • Add formulas and diagrams, and see them render as you type • Changes save back to the same file in Files or iCloud, front matter and all • If a file changed somewhere else, Dawn asks before anything is overwritten WHAT DAWN RENDERS • Full CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown • Syntax-highlighted code blocks that collapse out of the way • Tables that scroll sideways instead of breaking • Math, written in LaTeX and set with KaTeX • Diagrams, drawn from Mermaid • Task lists, nested quotes, footnotes, and frontmatter — folded into a tidy Properties strip BUILT FOR READING • Pinch to size the text exactly how you like it • Light, dark, and automatic themes • An outline you can open to jump between headings • A slim progress line so you always know where you are • A measured column width that keeps long lines easy on the eyes ON IPAD AND IPHONE DUO • Your library and the page side by side, with the outline beside them when there's room • Keyboard shortcuts for editing and formatting • Open documents in their own windows to read two at once • On iPhone Duo, the library and the page meet at the fold, and your place is kept as you open, fold, or turn it YOUR FILES, YOUR WAY • Open Markdown straight from the Files app or iCloud Drive • Send a web link from Safari and Dawn fetches and renders it • Recent documents group themselves by Today, Yesterday, and This Week • Pin the ones you keep coming back to, and search across names and contents SHARE BEAUTIFULLY Select any passage and share it as plain text, as Markdown, or as a polished image card with syntax highlighting — ready for Messages, X, or anywhere else. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no sign-in, no tracking. Your files stay on your device, and nothing you read or write is sent anywhere. Everything renders on-device, so Dawn works with or without a connection. Requires iOS 17 or later on iPhone, or iPadOS 17 or later on iPad.
Enso
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Enso is a calm, minimal Pomodoro timer for iPhone — inspired by the Japanese ensō circle and the idea that focus should feel effortless, not noisy. One tap starts a focus session. A soft ring of ticks fills as time passes, a gentle haptic and chime let you know when it's time to rest, and the whole thing stays out of your way. No clutter, no accounts, no distractions — just you and the work in front of you. Keep it in view, everywhere • Live Activity — watch the countdown on your Lock Screen without unlocking. • Dynamic Island — glance at the time remaining right from the top of your screen. • Home Screen widget — see your session and start or pause it with a single tap, in two sizes. Why you'll love it • The Pomodoro method — focus sessions, short breaks, and a longer break after every cycle. • Beautifully minimal — a single ring of ticks, clean typography, and one calm vermilion accent. • Light, dark, or system — the app, widget and Live Activity all match your choice. • Made yours — adjust focus, break lengths, and sessions per cycle. • Gentle by design — an optional chime and a soft haptic when a session ends. • Private — everything stays on your device. No account, no tracking, no data collected. Focus, the calm way.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Enso at every 3 days against Dawn's every 9 days. Dawn's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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.
Dawn ships an update every 9 days, Enso every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dawn | Enso |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hallidai Inc. | Safak Otur |
In-app purchases
Dawn
No in-app purchases
Enso
No in-app purchases









