ZooMark vs Cairn
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ZooMark
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ZooMark is a Markdown notes app for macOS. As you type, formatting appears instantly, while your text stays clean and portable. Write lightly and clearly in Markdown — no fussy formatting required. ■ Features · Hybrid Markdown editor — bold, italic, headers, lists, to-dos, and code render like formatting as you type, while the source stays plain Markdown text. · Split preview — Editor / Split / Preview modes. In Split, edit on the left and watch the rendered document (with GFM tables and links) on the right at the same time. · Folders — organize notes like Apple Notes; drag to reorder and nest them, and move multiple notes into a folder at once. · Hashtags & internal links — gather notes with #tags, and connect them with [[Title]] wiki links. · Powerful search — find notes fast with tag:, title:, @todo, and "exact phrase" operators. · Themes — light and dark themes (Honey Bear, Solar Cream, Panda, Tasmanian Devil Black, and more), set inside the app independent of the system appearance. · Note lock — hide sensitive notes behind Touch ID or a password. · Import · Export · Share — import .md files; save notes as Markdown, HTML, TXT, or PDF, or share them to other apps. · iCloud sync & backup — when signed in to iCloud, all folders and notes sync and back up across your devices automatically.
Cairn
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.
- 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
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Cairn is a fast, native task and note companion that lives on top of the Markdown files you already own. Point it at your Obsidian vault — or any folder of Markdown notes — and your tasks and notes appear in clean, focused views. Everything you do in Cairn is written straight back to your files as plain text, in the Obsidian Tasks format. YOUR NOTES STAY YOURS • No account, no sign-up, no Cairn cloud database — your tasks live in your own files • Cairn does not send your notes or tasks to the developer • Careful, patch-based edits change only the content you touched, preserving the rest of your note • Works alongside Obsidian, iCloud Drive, Git, or any sync you already use CAPTURE, BROWSE, AND PLAN • Browse and edit Markdown notes directly in your vault • Quick capture into your daily note, with date, tag, and priority tokens parsed as you type • Choose where longer captures are saved • Today, Upcoming, Inbox, and Pool views, plus a global filter for folders, tags, dates, priority, and status • Full support for sub-tasks and task hierarchies • Recurring tasks in Obsidian Tasks format, with safe completion handling • Convert upcoming calendar events into tasks, or mirror your dated tasks into a calendar you choose (optional) STAY ON TRACK • Local reminders for due tasks — including sunrise-relative reminders computed entirely on your device • A Live Activity keeps today's progress on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • Home Screen widgets and a Control Center quick-capture control • Search across every task in your vault MADE FOR OBSIDIAN — NOT ONLY OBSIDIAN Cairn reads and writes the Obsidian Tasks plugin format (due, scheduled, start, and done dates, priorities, recurrence, tags), so your vault stays fully compatible with your desktop setup. Don't use Obsidian? Create a plain task folder in the Files app and Cairn works as a stand-alone Markdown to-do app. Cairn asks for access only to the folder you pick. Calendar access and location (used to compute local sunrise times) are optional and processed on your device. If you choose iCloud Drive or another Files or calendar provider, that provider's own sync and privacy terms apply.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ZooMark at every 2 days against Cairn's every 5 days. 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ZooMark ships an update every 2 days, Cairn every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.
| Parameter | ZooMark | Cairn |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sangwook Joo | Young Hun JEONG |
In-app purchases
ZooMark
No in-app purchases
Cairn
No in-app purchases









