Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup vs Plain Markdown
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup
Enhance your PDF workflow with powerful annotation and markup tools. This app offers a dynamic and intuitive experience for editing, drawing, and adding text to your documents. Access your work across multiple devices and collaborate in real-time.
- Dynamic PDF annotation tools
- Cross-platform access and cloud sync
- Real-time collaboration
- Insert text, images, lines, and shapes
- Convert images to PDF
- Redact sensitive information (Pro)
- Measurement tools (Pro)
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Powerful PDF tools at your fingertips. The latest PDF technology and software for a better experience. With an intuitive UI designed for delight – there’s a better way to PDF! Do your best work with Drawboard. - Dynamic PDF tools that feel good to use - Multi-platform access and storage. Where you are, your work is. - Paperless. A way of working for a sustainable future TOOLS FOR EVERY JOB Fast, responsive, and accurate markup tools. Draw with best-in-class ink for flawless Apple Pencil hand-feel and finally replace pen and paper. CROSS-PLATFORM ACCESS ON ANY DEVICE Upload your annotated PDFs to the cloud and mark up with others in real time with instant sync. Go Pro in-app for additional storage capacity and advanced features. WORK YOUR WAY Customize your workspace by docking your favorite tools and build a toolbar that works for you! MORE - Text review markup - freehand highlighter, text highlighter, underline, strikeout, squiggly on PDF. - Insert lines and shapes - cloud tool, rectangle, ellipse, line, arrow, polygon and polyline on PDF. - Add text with a range of fonts and text styling options - Insert images and camera photos onto PDFs. - Convert JPG and PNG image files to PDF. - Write, annotate, ink and draw on PDFs. - Customize and edit annotation colors, stroke widths, and opacities. - Create new blank PDF documents of different size, color, orientation and page count. - Insert, rotate and delete PDF pages. - Open, read, mark up and save large and complex PDF documents. GET MORE WITH PRO - Redact text and sections of your PDF documents - Measure elements on your page with length and area measurement tools and smart page calibration - Add callouts, hyperlinks and audio notes to your documents - On-page ruler - measure objects on your page with the ease of using a tape measure
Plain Markdown
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Plain Markdown Read your .md files in place. Pick a folder on your iPhone or in iCloud Drive. The app lists every .md file inside — nothing more, nothing less. Tap a file to read it; the markdown is rendered with quiet, weight-driven typography that gets out of the way. The app uses Apple's standard folder picker, so it works with iCloud Drive, On My iPhone, and any third-party Files app provider (Dropbox, Google Drive, Working Copy, etc.). Pick once, and the app remembers — drill into subfolders, come back, switch folders. No accounts. No sync engine. No editor. Just a reader. · Folder picker with iCloud Drive and Files-app provider support · Drill into subfolders — back-button navigation · Inline images (jpg, png, gif, webp, svg, heic, heif, bmp, avif) · GitHub-flavored markdown: tables, blockquotes, code blocks, task lists, strikethrough · Adjustable text size (5 steps) · Light & dark mode · Mono body font option for code-style reading · Local only — your files never leave your device Privacy This app does not collect data, display ads, or communicate with any server. The folder picker is Apple's. Files are read on-device only. There are no analytics, no third-party SDKs, no telemetry. Less, but better.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup at Free against Plain Markdown's $2.99. Plain Markdown's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On ads 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
Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is free to download; Plain Markdown costs $2.99 up front. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Plain Markdown asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup | Plain Markdown |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (2K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 98 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Drawboard Pty Ltd | Yongmin Ji |
Bugs and requests
Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup
Reported bugs
5 issues- Annotations not syncing properly between devices
- Unexpected loss of work and unsaved changes
- Scrolling and page navigation issues
- Compatibility problems with certain PDF files
- Text input box disappearing after scrolling
Requested features
5 requests- Add page flattening and form filling options
- Improve eraser tool and precision
- Implement a dark mode
- Provide better organization and folder support
- Add more customization options for tools and UI
Plain Markdown
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup
- Pro Lite7 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Pro Plus7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Pro Unlimited7 Days trial$18.991 Month
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- Pro Lite7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Pro Plus7 Days trial$83.901 Year
- Pro Unlimited7 Days trial$159.991 Year
- Pro Plus$10.00
- Pro Unlimited$20.00
Plain Markdown
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup free?
Is Plain Markdown free?
Do Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Plain Markdown have ads?
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