Comparison

Dawn vs Enso

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Enso

Features
Read full description

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

Dawn4 screens
Enso4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Dawn versus Enso: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDawnEnso
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Mac
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHallidai Inc.Safak Otur

In-app purchases

None

Dawn

No in-app purchases

None

Enso

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dawn free?
Dawn is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Enso free?
Enso is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dawn or Enso have ads?
Neither Dawn nor Enso shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dawn or Enso?
Dawn ships an update every 9 days, and Enso every 3 days. Most recently, Dawn was updated on October 31, 2026 and Enso on October 29, 2026.

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