# DayOS vs Cairn

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cairn at none against DayOS's 2. DayOS's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DayOS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Cairn asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for DayOS against 5.0 for Cairn. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

DayOS ships an update every 3 days, Cairn every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DayOS | Cairn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dayos/id6761629921/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-markdown-tasks/id6786663000/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 6 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dylan Murray](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890552574) | [Young Hun JEONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786662344) |

## What reviewers say

### DayOS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dayos/id6761629921)

This app offers a streamlined workspace for daily organization, combining tasks, calendar, notes, and a private vault. It focuses on simplicity and efficiency without the complexity of project management tools. Available on iPad, it supports markdown notes, photo attachments, and spending tracking.

**Highlights:** Daily Home dashboard, Simple daily task management, Day, week, month calendar views, Markdown-supported notes with attachments, Spending tracking and bill reminders, Private, password-protected vault, Light, dark, and system themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Lifetime Premium | $14.99 | 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 DayOS free?

DayOS 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, DayOS or Cairn?

DayOS and Cairn are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do DayOS or Cairn have ads?

Neither DayOS nor Cairn shows ads.

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

DayOS ships an update every 3 days, and Cairn every 6 days. Most recently, DayOS was updated on October 14, 2026 and Cairn on October 28, 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.*