Comparison

Pi Relay vs Carets

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

Head to head
About

Pi Relay

Features
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Pi Relay is a companion iPhone app for the Pi coding agent. It lets you connect securely to your own Pi remote-control server, browse active projects and sessions, and continue conversations from your phone. Pairing is simple: install the Pi remote-control extension on the machine running Pi, open the pairing QR code, and scan it with Pi Relay. Once paired, you can switch between remotes, view project sessions, read conversation history, send new prompts, abort running work, and request context compaction with /compact. Pi Relay is designed for users who already run Pi on their own computer or development environment and want a lightweight mobile companion for monitoring and continuing work away from the desktop. Key features: - QR-code pairing with your Pi remote-control server - Remote list with quick switching and unpairing - Project and session browsing - Conversation view with selectable and copyable messages - Runtime status and context usage display - Prompt sending, abort support, and /compact support - Live session updates while the app is active Pi Relay requires a running Pi remote-control extension/server. The extension is available at: https://github.com/zerray/pi-remote-control

About

Carets

This app offers a dual-purpose experience as a capable code editor and a fast notes and lists application. It focuses on speed, minimalism, and a clean aesthetic for mobile devices, allowing you to edit real files from cloud storage or create internal notes.

Highlights
  • Syntax highlighting for common languages
  • Edit external files from cloud storage
  • Plain text and Markdown notes
  • Lists and checklists
  • Full-text search across notes
  • Generative art gallery
Features
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Carets is two great apps in one: a genuinely capable pocket code editor and a fast, beautiful notes and lists app. Built for speed, minimalism, and a monospace-clean aesthetic — reshaped for a phone. On the editor side, Carets opens and edits the real files on your device, in iCloud Drive, and in Google Drive. You get syntax highlighting across the common languages, line numbers, code-aware editing, find and replace with full regex, and a touch-reimagined command palette for jumping between files and actions. Edits save back to the file's original location, not a copy. Opening and editing external files is unlimited on the free tier. On the notes side, Carets keeps internal notes in a local SQLite store you own. Plain text or Markdown, with live preview when you want it. Lists and checklists with tap-to-toggle to-dos. Folders and tags for lightweight organization. Instant full-text search across everything you've written. No login required, no account, no cloud — until you ask for one. There's also a Gallery of generative-art sketches that run right on your phone. Open one and watch it draw — every run is unique. With Pro, open the code behind any piece, tweak it live, and make it your own. The bridge between the two halves is the editor surface itself: the same fast, monospace, distraction-free typing experience whether you're editing a config file from iCloud Drive or jotting a grocery list. The chrome fades while you type. The keyboard never jumps. The cursor stays where you left it. Features: - Syntax highlighting across common languages - Line numbers and code-aware editing - Find and replace, with regex - Command palette for fast navigation - Open and edit external files from the Files app, iCloud Drive, and Google Drive - Save changes back to the original file - Plain text and Markdown notes with live preview - Lists and checklists, auto-continued - Folders and tags - Instant full-text search across all notes - Gallery of live generative-art templates (Pro unlocks the code to edit and export) - Auto-save with cursor and scroll restore per document - Light and dark themes, including a deep, editor-style dark - Native sign-in only when you opt into paid cloud sync — no passwords ever - Delete-all-data button that means it Pricing: - Free — open and edit unlimited external files; create up to 30 internal notes - Carets Pro — 5.99 USD, one-time (no subscription) Carets Pro is a single one-time unlock: unlimited internal notes, cloud sync to your own iCloud, cross-device editing, the premium theme pack and custom fonts, the generative-art template code (open, edit, export), and export to Markdown / PDF / .txt. Pay once, keep it forever. Privacy: - Local-first. The app works fully offline with no account. - We collect no personal information by default. - Sign-in is only invoked if you turn on paid cloud sync. - Cloud sync goes to your own iCloud container — not a server we operate. - Tap "Delete all data" in settings, and the local database and the cloud copy are wiped. Privacy policy: https://carets.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://carets.app/terms

Screenshots

Pi Relay4 screens
Carets4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pi Relay at none against Carets's 1. Pi Relay also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Carets sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pi Relay asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pi Relay ships an update fortnightly, Carets every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Pi Relay versus Carets: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPi RelayCarets
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB51 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperZerui ZhouEcho Persona LLC

In-app purchases

None

Pi Relay

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Carets

One-time1
  • Carets Pro$5.99

Questions

Is Pi Relay free?
Pi Relay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Carets free?
Carets is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pi Relay or Carets have ads?
Neither Pi Relay nor Carets shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pi Relay or Carets?
Pi Relay ships an update fortnightly, and Carets every 6 weeks. Most recently, Pi Relay was updated on September 29, 2026 and Carets on October 2, 2026.

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