Comparison

Caliu vs QuickLLM

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 markdown notes app for people who write. No clutter. No toolbars in the way. Just a quiet canvas, your words, and a way to find them again later. Write in Markdown. Sync everywhere. Think clearly. It runs natively on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and stays in sync with the web app. Everything works offline. Your notes live on your device first and travel only when there is a connection. • The writing page. Headings, lists, quotes, code blocks, and links format as you type. No preview pane, no switching modes. The interface steps aside so the writing can take over. • Tags, not folders. Ideas overlap, so one note can belong to many places. Nest your tags, colour them, search them. Organisation that matches the way you think. • Reminders that find you. Pin a time to any note and Caliu nudges you on whichever device you have picked up. Good for the things you would otherwise forget you wrote down. • Sync you never think about. Start on your Mac, finish on your phone. Your notes are already there. No sync button, no spinner, no waiting. • Just talk. Tap the mic and think out loud. Caliu transcribes, trims the filler words, and turns your voice into clean Markdown: real headings and lists, not a wall of text. • Long-term memory. Caliu keeps snapshots as you write. Scroll back through a note's history, preview any moment, and bring it back in a tap. • A mood, not a menu. Ten colour themes, light and dark, plus more than 30 fonts to make the page yours. Pick the one that matches the hour. • Export, share, own your work. Export any note as Markdown, plain text, HTML, ePub, PDF, RTF, or TextPack. Share a note as a public link when someone needs to read it. Nothing locks you in. • Notes that talk back. A full REST API and a built-in MCP server, so Claude, Cursor, or your own scripts can read and write notes on your terms. • Private by design. Your notes are nobody's business. No ads, no selling your data, no tracking you across the web, and nothing you write is used to train AI. Kept on your device first and synced encrypted, built in the EU under GDPR. Export everything or delete your account whenever you like. Deleted means deleted. Caliu Pro The heart of Caliu is free: writing, tags, sync, and offline everything. Caliu Pro adds voice dictation, version history, every theme and font, unlimited attachments, more export formats, and API access. Try it free before you decide. Made with care by a small, independent team of one. No setup. No clutter. Just your thoughts, kept warm. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://caliuapp.com/privacy

About

QuickLLM

Features
Read full description

QuickLLM is a private local AI workspace designed for iOS and macOS. QuickLLM keeps inference, conversations, documents, embeddings, retrieval, and generated text on your device while making model fit and network purpose visible. KEY FEATURES: - Private local chat: Run conversations through packaged local inference with visible model, Profile, Knowledge, context, generation, and Stop state. - Model fit: Measure device capability, compare memory and storage needs, download verified models, and explain unsupported configurations. - Knowledge Bases: Ingest supported documents, build local indexes, retrieve grounded excerpts, and open citations at their source. - Profiles and LoRA: Save model, context, sampling, backend, and adapter combinations for repeatable work. - Templates and Actions: Reuse private prompts and run shared-text workflows that keep results available for copy, share, or conversation. - Portable control: Export conversations, run a desktop local API when explicitly enabled, and create encrypted backup and restore files. PERFECT FOR: - Private drafting, brainstorming, summarization, and coding assistance - Offline or local-only conversations with downloaded models - Question answering over personal PDFs, DOCX, Markdown, and text - Reusable local Profiles, Templates, Actions, and encrypted backups GETTING STARTED: - Run device diagnostics and choose a model that fits. - Download, verify, and load the model. - Start a conversation and choose a Profile. - Optionally create a Knowledge Base, add trusted documents, and verify citations. - Export important work or create an encrypted backup before moving or deleting data. PRIVACY & SECURITY: - Prompts, conversations, documents, embeddings, retrieval, and generated text stay on-device. - Mobile share inputs are temporary and external originals are never deleted. - App-owned workspace data and managed copies can be removed through the reviewed privacy workflow. FREE AND PRO: - Start with a seven-day ad-free trial. - Free keeps the full feature set and may show mobile advertising or a daily desktop support reminder. - QuickLLM Pro removes ads and reminders through a yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Terms of Use: https://kakitiro.com/quickapps/quickllm/terms/

Screenshots

Caliu4 screens
QuickLLM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Caliu at none against QuickLLM's shown. QuickLLM's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, 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. Caliu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and QuickLLM sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Caliu versus QuickLLM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCaliuQuickLLM
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarc TorrellesKAZUHIRO KAKIMOTO

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Caliu

Subscriptions2
  • Caliu Pro - Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Caliu Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year
2 purchases

QuickLLM

Subscriptions1
  • Pro - Annual$0.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro - Lifetime$4.99

Questions

Is Caliu free?
Caliu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is QuickLLM free?
QuickLLM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Caliu or QuickLLM have ads?
QuickLLM shows ads; Caliu does not.

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