# Shift Editor & Quick Lookup vs Cairn

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cairn at every 6 days against Shift Editor & Quick Lookup's every 11 months. Cairn also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Shift Editor & Quick Lookup's advantage is ratings volume (11 vs 1) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cairn holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shift Editor & Quick Lookup has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Shift Editor & Quick Lookup ships an update every 11 months, Cairn every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shift Editor & Quick Lookup | Cairn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-editor-and-quick-lookup/id903319066/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-markdown-tasks/id6786663000/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Lincoln](https://appshunter.io/developer/721184128) | [Young Hun JEONG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6786662344) |

## What reviewers say

### Shift Editor & Quick Lookup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shift-editor-and-quick-lookup/id903319066)

This app streamlines writing and referencing by integrating a browser with customizable text display. It offers smart Markdown shortcuts, multiple customizable presets for editing and viewing, and robust version control for documents. The app prioritizes a clean, distraction-free writing experience with advanced typography options.

**Highlights:** Integrated browser with custom color schemes, Smart Markdown shortcuts, Customizable presets for editing and viewing, HTML preview sync, Dropbox repository browsing, Automatic document versioning, Advanced typography options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Shift Editor & Quick Lookup free?

Shift Editor & Quick Lookup is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cairn free?

Cairn is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shift Editor & Quick Lookup or Cairn?

Cairn is rated higher. Shift Editor & Quick Lookup averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Cairn averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Shift Editor & Quick Lookup or Cairn have ads?

Neither Shift Editor & Quick Lookup nor Cairn shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shift Editor & Quick Lookup or Cairn?

Shift Editor & Quick Lookup ships an update every 11 months, and Cairn every 6 days. Most recently, Shift Editor & Quick Lookup was updated on October 29, 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.*