Comparison

SideNotes Mobile vs Writer for Markdown

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

Head to head
About

SideNotes Mobile

Capture thoughts and to-dos on the go with this mobile note-taking app. It offers iCloud sync, Markdown formatting, and customizable themes for a personalized experience. Easily access notes from other applications.

Highlights
  • iCloud Synchronization
  • Markdown Formatting
  • Task Management
  • Customizable Themes
  • Note and Folder URLs
  • Note Colors
Features
Read full description

SideNotes Mobile is a fast notes app for iPhone and iPad. Capture notes, tasks, links, and snippets in seconds, then access them across devices with iCloud sync. Version 1.2 brings a major upgrade: - A new editor with hidden Markdown markup - the same as in SideNotes for macOS - Refreshed iOS 26-style interface (Liquid Glass look) - Note folding - Note & Folder pinning - Simple drag-and-drop reordering - New contextual menu - New formatting options - Add Note action for the iPhone Action Button - New translations: Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, and Spanish - UI polish, bug fixes, and quality improvements Core features: - iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Themes and note colors for personalization - Tasks and checklists for daily work - Folder organization and quick search - Note and folder URLs for fast access from other apps - Text settings for comfortable writing and reading - One-time purchase (paid per major version). No subscription. Note: SideNotes Mobile is a companion app to SideNotes for macOS. SideNotes for macOS is sold separately.

About

Writer for Markdown

Features
Read full description

Writer is a lightweight yet powerful Markdown editor for multiple platforms (macOS, iOS and more). It combines distraction-free writing, real-time preview, flexible themes, document outline navigation, Markdown-to-PNG export on both platforms, and Finder Quick Look support on macOS for a smoother reading and sharing workflow. ## Features 1. **Markdown Editing**: Full support for standard Markdown syntax with syntax-aware text editing. 2. **Real-time Preview**: Review rendered Markdown while writing with a smooth editing and preview workflow. 3. **Theme System**: Choose from built-in light and dark themes, or import custom CSS themes. 4. **Code Highlighting**: 83 built-in code highlighting themes powered by Highlight.js. 5. **Outline View**: Automatically parse Markdown headings to generate a document outline for quick navigation. 6. **Markdown PNG Export**: Export Markdown content as PNG for sharing, archiving, or quick publishing. ### iOS 1. **Image Support**: Insert images from the photo library or Files picker while editing on the go. 2. **Document Browser Integration**: Works with iCloud Drive and other file providers through the system document browser. http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

SideNotes Mobile4 screens
Writer for Markdown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Writer for Markdown at Free against SideNotes Mobile's $9.99. SideNotes Mobile's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On update cadence, 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

Writer for Markdown is free to download; SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99 up front. Writer for Markdown sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. SideNotes Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
SideNotes Mobile versus Writer for Markdown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSideNotes MobileWriter for Markdown
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (29 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings29 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApptorium鑫 肇

In-app purchases

None

SideNotes Mobile

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Writer for Markdown

Subscriptions1
  • Writer Pro Weekly$0.997 Days
One-time2
  • Writer Pro one-time Purchase macOS$9.99
  • Writer Pro one-time Purchase iOS$9.99

Questions

Is SideNotes Mobile free?
SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Writer for Markdown free?
Writer for Markdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SideNotes Mobile or Writer for Markdown have ads?
Neither SideNotes Mobile nor Writer for Markdown shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SideNotes Mobile or Writer for Markdown?
SideNotes Mobile ships an update monthly, and Writer for Markdown monthly. Most recently, SideNotes Mobile was updated on October 30, 2026 and Writer for Markdown on October 25, 2026.

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