Comparison

Obsidian vs Markdown Editor & Reader

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

Head to head
About

Obsidian

Organize your thoughts and ideas with a powerful knowledge base that utilizes local Markdown files. This app acts as your personal second brain, accessible on your mobile device for seamless note-taking and idea connection.

Highlights
  • Local Markdown file storage
  • Customizable toolbar
  • Graph view for connections
  • Community plugins
  • Themes
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files. It is a second brain, for you, forever. Now available on the go for iOS! Features include: - Customizable toolbar - Pull down quick actions - Graph view - Community plugins - Themes - Sidebar pinning for tablet - iCloud vaults

About

Markdown Editor & Reader

Features
Read full description

Open, read, edit and share Markdown — beautifully. MD Preview is an all-in-one Markdown workspace for iPhone and iPad. Open Markdown files from Files, iCloud Drive, Mail or your favorite apps. Read beautifully rendered documents, edit when needed, browse GitHub READMEs, and export polished documents to PDF, HTML or DOC — all completely offline. Whether you're reviewing a README, editing technical documentation, writing notes, or preparing documents to share, MD Preview gives you everything you need in one clean, native experience. KEY FEATURES • Beautiful rendering — GitHub-flavored Markdown with proper typography, syntax-highlighted code blocks, tables, blockquotes and footnotes. • Two views, one tap — toggle between rendered preview and raw source mode. Source view supports text selection. • Table of Contents — auto-generated from headings; tap to jump anywhere in long documents. • 9 hand-crafted themes — Parchment (warm cream), Eclipse (deep navy), Woodland (mossy green), Blossom (soft pink), Tide (deep sea), Iris (vivid violet), Sunlit (cream amber), Nocturne (inky violet), Glacier (frosted slate). Light and dark variants. • Folders & recents — organize your markdown files into custom folders with icons and colors. Recently opened files reappear on home for one-tap access. • Smart export — generate a print-ready PDF with your chosen theme baked in. Share the original file, or copy the markdown to clipboard. • Font controls — adjust reading size for tired eyes or small screens. • Fully offline — no servers, no tracking, no signup. Your files stay on your device. • Native iOS feel — built with SwiftUI for iPhone and iPad. Supports light/dark mode, dynamic type, and the share sheet. PERFECT FOR • Reading READMEs from GitHub or local repos • Reviewing technical specs and documentation • Reading novels and notes written in Markdown • Sharing rendered docs with non-technical teammates • Exporting handouts as PDFs from a phone PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your documents stay on your device. • No accounts • No cloud processing • No tracking • No analytics SDK • No telemetry Everything works offline. PRIVACY MD Preview does not collect, store, or transmit your files. Everything runs on-device. There is no analytics SDK, no telemetry, no account. You can manage or disable auto-renewal in your Account Settings after purchase. For more details, please refer to our privacy policy and terms of use. Privacy policy: https://sites.google.com/view/nguyendangnam-privacy-policy/home Term of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ — Open a .md file from Files, iCloud Drive, Mail or any sharing app — and start reading

Screenshots

Obsidian4 screens
Markdown Editor & Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Obsidian at none against Markdown Editor & Reader's 1. Obsidian also leads on chart position (#129 vs unranked). Markdown Editor & Reader's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. Markdown Editor & Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Obsidian asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, Markdown Editor & Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Obsidian versus Markdown Editor & Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterObsidianMarkdown Editor & Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.7K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.7K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#129 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB18 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperDynalist Inc.Dang Nam Nguyen

Bugs and requests

Obsidian

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Sync issues leading to data loss
  • Freezing and crashing on mobile devices
  • Editing bugs and text input issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved sorting and organization options
  • WYSIWYG editing on mobile
  • Better integration with other cloud storage services
  • More intuitive onboarding process for new users
  • Native mobile widgets and share sheet integration

Markdown Editor & Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Obsidian

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Markdown Editor & Reader

One-time1
  • MD Preview Pro (Lifetime)$3.99

Questions

Is Obsidian free?
Obsidian is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Markdown Editor & Reader free?
Markdown Editor & Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Obsidian or Markdown Editor & Reader have ads?
Neither Obsidian nor Markdown Editor & Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Obsidian or Markdown Editor & Reader?
Obsidian ships an update every 3 weeks, and Markdown Editor & Reader weekly. Most recently, Obsidian was updated on September 24, 2026 and Markdown Editor & Reader on September 5, 2026.

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