Comparison

Formalize vs Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor

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

Head to head
About

Formalize

Type mathematical equations and symbols directly on your iPhone or iPad. This keyboard extension offers intuitive one-handed access to over 100 symbols, producing professionally typeset formulas. Easily export your creations as PNG or TeX to use in any app.

Highlights
  • Mathematical keyboard extension
  • Over 100 symbols
  • One-handed operation
  • Professionally typeset formulas
  • PNG export
  • TeX export
Features
Read full description

Do you wish you could properly type math on your iPhone or iPad? With Formalize, you can! Formalize is a keyboard extension for mathematical content. It provides intuitive one-handed access to more than 100 symbols and produces professionally typeset formulas. Easily convert your formulas to PNG or TeX and insert them anywhere, in any app!

About

Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor

Features
Read full description

Quirely is two full editors in one native app: real Markdown and real LaTeX. Neither is a bolt-on. If you only ever write Markdown, you get a complete, beautiful Markdown app — nothing hidden behind TeX. If you live in LaTeX, you get a genuine editor that compiles your projects — not a Markdown app with math sprinkled in. A CALMER READER Open a file and just read. Quirely renders clean, typographic Markdown — never forcing a split screen or a cramped editor when all you want is the page. Switch to Code, Edit, or Split only when you choose. Quick Look previews .md and .tex straight from Finder. MARKDOWN, RENDERED RIGHT - Mermaid diagrams: flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and more — live, and styled to your theme. - LaTeX math: inline and block equations, typeset beautifully. - Code blocks with syntax highlighting for dozens of languages. - Tables, task lists, footnotes, callouts, full GitHub-flavored Markdown. EDIT LIKE A PRO - Four modes: View, Code, Edit (block editor), and Split. - Word-processor formatting: bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, highlight, links, super/subscript — with theme-aware colors. - Drag-and-drop block editing: reorder paragraphs, lists, tables, and diagrams by hand. - Visual Mermaid editing: drag nodes, add edges, recolor — no syntax required. - Spreadsheet functions in tables: =SUM(A1:A3), =AVERAGE, =IF and more, with a full function keypad on Mac. - Collaborate over bonjour. Share a workspace or document and each collaborator can edit with their own cursor and view. Entirely private; no external servers A REAL LATEX EDITOR - Open and compile .tex — single files or full projects with a root document, chapters, and BibTeX. - The same four modes: read the typeset PDF, edit raw source with themed syntax highlighting, or use structured Edit mode — rendered paragraphs, equations, and tables you double-click to edit. - Chapters open inline in the root document and save back to their own files. - Tabular grid editor with the same spreadsheet formulas as Markdown tables. - SyncTeX jump between source and PDF; rendered diffs between versions (latexdiff). - Export LaTeX to PDF, HTML, or clean Markdown — cite/ref/figure numbering intact. - LaTeX stays classic black-and-white by default; apply your theme with one toggle. FEYNMAN DIAGRAMS Build QED/QCD diagrams visually — vertices, propagators, gauge bosons, loops — or paste tikz-feynman. Quirely renders them natively and derives the amplitude iℳ from the Feynman rules; edit the equation and get the diagram back. Free on every tier. MAKE IT YOURS Ten hand-tuned themes recolor every token — headings, code, links, tables, diagrams. Duplicate any theme and edit every color, font, and size. Switch live. A REAL WORKSPACE - Open a folder with file navigation, backlinks, and tabs. - Semantic search and exact full-text search. - Version history with rendered diffs. - Mark positions to insert text across documents. ON-DEVICE AI (Pro) Draft, rewrite, and synthesize across your notes with Apple Intelligence — on-device, no API fees, no account. EXPORT & SHARE Polished HTML or paginated PDF with your theme, math, and diagrams intact. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything runs on your device. Your files stay plain Markdown and LaTeX you own — no account, no lock-in. ONE APP, EVERY DEVICE Universal for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. One-time purchases — never a subscription. Write in Markdown or LaTeX. Read either beautifully.

Screenshots

Formalize4 screens
Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor at Free against Formalize's $1.99. Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 9 months). Formalize's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.2). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor is free to download; Formalize costs $1.99 up front. Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Formalize asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Formalize ships an update every 9 months, Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Formalize versus Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFormalizeQuirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating2.6 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBen HambrechtReggie Fisher

In-app purchases

None

Formalize

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor

One-time2
  • Quirely Markdowns Vault$3.99
  • Quirely Markdowns Editor$14.99

Questions

Is Formalize free?
Formalize costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor free?
Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Formalize or Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor have ads?
Neither Formalize nor Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Formalize or Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor?
Formalize ships an update every 9 months, and Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor every 5 days. Most recently, Formalize was updated on October 24, 2026 and Quirely Markdown+LaTeX Editor on October 24, 2026.

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