Comparison

Caliu vs Alarmed

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

Head to head
About

Caliu

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
Read full description

Caliu is a quiet place to write. Open it and start typing: no account, no setup, no clutter. Markdown takes shape as you type, everything works offline, and your notes stay on your device. When you want them everywhere, create a free account and they follow you across iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web. Sync is free, and it stays free. Writing comes first Headings, lists, tasks, quotes, code and links format as you write. There is no preview pane and no mode to switch: what you see is your note. The interface steps aside and leaves you with the page. Organised the way you think Tags instead of folders, because one idea can belong in many places. Nest them, colour them, and find any note in seconds. Link notes to each other and follow a thought from one to the next. Pin what matters now, and archive what you are done with without losing a word. There when you need it Native on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with a web app for everything else. Save things to Caliu straight from the share sheet, or add a thought from your Apple Watch. Yours, and only yours No ads. No tracking. Nothing you write is used to train AI. Your notes live on your device first and sync encrypted, and Caliu is built in the EU under GDPR. Export any note as Markdown or plain text whenever you like, share one as a public link when someone needs to read it, and delete your account at any time. Deleted means deleted. For tinkerers A full REST API and a built-in MCP server, so Claude, Cursor or your own scripts can read and write your notes, on your terms. Your first API key is free. Caliu Pro Writing, tags, sync and working offline are free. 50 notes free, forever, no account needed. Caliu Pro makes them unlimited and adds: • Version history: scroll back through any note and restore it in a tap • Every theme, font and app icon: 22 colour themes, each in light and dark, and 30 fonts • Drawing, right inside your notes • Unlimited attachments • More export formats: HTML, ePub, PDF, RTF and TextPack • Unlimited API keys, and connecting AI apps like Claude to your notes Subscribe monthly or yearly, or buy Pro lifetime once. Try it free before you decide. The monthly or yearly plan is an auto-renewing subscription: it renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and you can manage or cancel it anytime in your App Store account settings. Made with care by a small, independent team of one. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://caliuapp.com/privacy

About

Alarmed

This app helps you avoid oversleeping by requiring you to complete a challenge before the alarm stops. Choose from various missions like math puzzles or shaking your phone to ensure you get out of bed. It also provides simple statistics to track your wake-up habits.

Highlights
  • Mission-based alarm challenges
  • Math puzzles
  • Phone shaking challenge
  • Memory challenges
  • Wake-up statistics
  • Snooze tracking
Features
Read full description

Alarmed is for people who keep hitting the snooze button on normal alarm clocks. Say bye bye to endless snoozing and multiple alarms just to wake up on time. Create alarms, pick a mission, and complete it so the alarm turns off. Choose from math puzzles, shaking phone, or memory challenges to make waking up harder to ignore. Create alarms, pick a mission, and complete it so the alarm turns off. Choose from math puzzles, memory games, exercise challenges and more to make waking up harder to ignore. ALARMED PRO Unlimited alarms and the math, shake and memory missions are free. Alarmed Pro adds mission chains (up to three missions on one alarm), the premium missions — Workout, Scan, Steps and Tiles — and the wake-up checkup, a second alarm a few minutes later that proves you actually stayed up. Alarmed Pro is available as: • Monthly — $4.99 per month • Annual — $19.99 per year • Lifetime — $39.99, one-time purchase Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://alarmed-app.vercel.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Caliu4 screens
Alarmed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Caliu at 5.0 against Alarmed's 4.4. Caliu also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and device support (4 vs 1). Alarmed's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (25 vs 5). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model 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. Caliu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Alarmed asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Caliu holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alarmed has 25 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Caliu ships an update weekly, Alarmed every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Caliu versus Alarmed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCaliuAlarmed
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better4.4 (25 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings525 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size201 MB102 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarc TorrellesAgrima Pandey

Customer experience

Caliu

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Alarmed

All ratings22 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.6%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Caliu

Subscriptions2
  • Caliu Pro - Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Caliu Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Caliu Pro Lifetime$44.99
None

Alarmed

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Caliu free?
Caliu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Alarmed free?
Alarmed is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Caliu or Alarmed?
Caliu is rated higher. Caliu averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Alarmed averages 4.4 from 25 ratings.
Do Caliu or Alarmed have ads?
Neither Caliu nor Alarmed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Caliu or Alarmed?
Caliu ships an update weekly, and Alarmed every 2 months. Most recently, Caliu was updated on October 25, 2026 and Alarmed on October 24, 2026.

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