Comparison

Firstext 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

Firstext

This app is a straightforward text editor designed for quick note-taking and text creation. It automatically saves your work and allows for easy sharing to other applications with customizable actions. Advanced features like search, replace, and character counting are also included.

Highlights
  • Instant text input on launch
  • Automatic text saving and restoration
  • Customizable text sharing actions
  • Cursor movement by swiping
  • Search and replace functionality
  • Character and line counting
  • Font size adjustment
Features
Read full description

Firstext is a simple text editor application. I named it "First" + "Text" = "Firstext" with the aim of making it the "first step" in all kinds of text creation. Firstext has the following features. ・Start typing as soon as the application is launched. ・The text you type is automatically saved and can be restored at any time. ・Ability to freely share text to other apps by creating and adding share actions to suit your needs. There is no functionality for managing multiple texts or notes, decorating text, or inserting photos. *Before removing the limitation by in-app purchase, the number of shared actions is limited to 10, and the number of saved history is limited to 20. Please understand. After confirming the usability of the application, you can use it without restrictions by making an in-app purchase. Main functions and features ・Input text as soon as the application is launched. ・Automatic saving and restoration of text ・Ability to create and add shared actions. ・Ability to move the cursor by swiping left and right. ・Ability to search and replace text. ・Ability to search and delete history. ・Ability to count the number of characters and lines. ・Ability to change the font size of text. ・Ability to change icons. ・URL scheme support - Launch → firstext:// - Startup by replacing the current text with the clipboard contents → firstext://clipReplace - Starts by appending the clipboard contents to the end of the current text → firstext://clipAdd - Inserts the clipboard content at the cursor position of the current text → firstext://clipInsert - Starts with replacing the current text with the specified text → firstext://textReplace?text=[text] - Appends the specified text to the end of the current text → firstext://textAdd?text=[text] - Inserts the specified text at the cursor position of the current text → firstext://textInsert?text=[text] The following features will be added in future updates Synchronization of text, shared actions, and history with other devices via iCloud *I have confirmed an issue where an alert regarding pasting is displayed every time when using clipboard-related URL schemes on iOS 16 or later.  This issue can be avoided by updating to iOS16.1 or later and making the following settings from the Settings app.  (1) Select "Firstext" in the Settings app and select "Paste from Other Apps".  (2) Change the setting to "Allow".  *Notification about pasting will appear even after changing to "Allow". Due to the limitation of iOS, you cannot turn off this notification.

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

Firstext4 screens
Writer for Markdown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Writer for Markdown at none against Firstext's shown. Writer for Markdown also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. Firstext sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Writer for Markdown sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Firstext ships an update every 2 weeks, Writer for Markdown monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
Firstext versus Writer for Markdown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirstextWriter for Markdown
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAkihiro Usui鑫 肇

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Firstext

One-time4
  • Snack-Sized Tip$0.49
  • Restriction Removal$1.99
  • Coffee-Sized Tip$1.99
Show 1 more
  • Lunch-Sized Tip$3.99
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 Firstext free?
Firstext is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Writer for Markdown free?
Writer for Markdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Firstext or Writer for Markdown have ads?
Firstext shows ads; Writer for Markdown does not.
Which is updated more often, Firstext or Writer for Markdown?
Firstext ships an update every 2 weeks, and Writer for Markdown monthly. Most recently, Firstext was updated on October 3, 2026 and Writer for Markdown on October 7, 2026.

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