FAQ
Answers to the questions new users ask most often. If you don't see yours here, just type it in the chat — this wiki can answer you directly. Cairni guide.md
How is Cairni different from ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a general-purpose chat that doesn't remember your conversations or build on them over time. Cairni is a knowledge base that grows: you add your own sources, and AI compiles them into cross-linked wiki pages where every claim traces back to the original source. You own the result, can read it, edit it, and share it. See How Cairni works for the full picture.
How is this different from RAG?
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) retrieves chunks of your documents and feeds them to a language model at query time — you get an answer, but no persistent, readable artifact. Cairni goes further: it writes actual pages, cross-links concepts and entities, keeps an index, and lets good answers be saved back as new pages. The output is a wiki you can navigate and trust, not just a chat response. Cairni guide.md
Who actually writes the wiki pages?
Cairni's AI does — automatically, when you add sources. It summarizes each source and writes or updates concept and entity pages, linking everything together. You don't have to write a single page yourself, though you can always edit what it produces. Cairni guide.md
Is my data mine? Can I export it?
Yes. Cairni is explicit about this: you can export your wikis at any time, and your knowledge stays yours. Key features covers this under *Own your data*. Cairni guide.md
Can a team share one wiki?
Yes. Cairni supports shared workspaces with per-notebook access control, approvals, and comments. You start as a "team of one" and invite people when you're ready. The Team plan ($30 per seat/month) is designed specifically for this. Cairni guide.md
What sources can I add?
Files (PDF, Markdown, TXT, DOCX), pasted text, web URLs, Notion pages, and audio recordings (Cairni transcribes them first). Full details on What you can add. Cairni guide.md
How do I get started?
Check out Getting started for a step-by-step walkthrough: create a notebook, add sources, ask the wiki a question, then invite teammates or publish. Cairni guide.md
What does it cost?
There's a free tier to try Cairni out. Paid plans are credit-based: Pro ($20/mo), Plus ($40/mo), Max ($100/mo), and Team ($30 per seat/mo). See Pricing for the full breakdown and the pricing page for current details. Cairni guide.md