# Vim vs One Markdown

The clearest difference is rating: One Markdown at 4.6 against Vim's 2.9. One Markdown also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 46%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months). Vim's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. One Markdown sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Vim asks for nothing beyond the download.

One Markdown holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: One Markdown has 141 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Vim's written reviews are positive against 82% of One Markdown's.

Vim ships an update every 9 months, One Markdown monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vim | One Markdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vim/id492668168/reviews) | **[4.6 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-markdown/id1507139439/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **141** |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | **81.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 37 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applidium](https://appshunter.io/developer/308674223) | [禄海 区](https://appshunter.io/developer/954188947) |

## What reviewers say

### Vim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vim/id492668168)

A highly configurable text editor with a long history, designed for efficient editing from both command lines and graphical interfaces. It offers extensive customization options for programmers and writers alike.

**Highlights:** Text editing, Command-line interface support, Graphical user interface support, Highly configurable, Free and open source

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ True Vim implementation with authentic commands and features
- ⌨️ Works well with external Bluetooth keyboards
- 🆓 Free application with no cost barrier
- 🔒 Includes encryption functionality for secure editing
- 📝 Supports .vimrc configuration files

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Escape key mapping to backslash is cumbersome and unintuitive
- 🐛 Space bar and other keys don't work with external keyboards
- 🐛 Font rendering is illegible on Retina displays and newer devices
- 🐛 Severe input lag and keystroke delay issues
- 🐛 Window focus problems in multitasking environments

**Reported bugs**

- Escape key not recognized on external keyboards
- Space bar non-functional with external keyboards
- Font illegible on Retina and newer displays
- Significant input lag between keystrokes and display
- Window focus not maintained in multitasking

**Requested features**

- Custom keyboard row with Esc, Tab, Ctrl, and common symbols
- Dropbox and cloud service integration
- iOS copy/paste and clipboard integration
- File browser and file management system
- Better font rendering and scaling options


### One Markdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-markdown/id1507139439)

A fast and simple editor for plain text, Markdown, and Textbundle formats. It offers full Markdown display, image previews, math formula rendering, and extensive customization options for themes and fonts. Includes tools for syntax input, table generation, and document outlining.

**Highlights:** Supports CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown, Full Markdown document display, Image and math formula previews, Customizable themes and fonts, Markdown syntax input menu and keyboard, Outline and word count view, Editor & Preview mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One Markdown Yearly Subscribe | $3.99 | per year |
| One Markdown for Mac | $9.99 | one-time |
| One Markdown for  iPhone/iPad | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vim free?

Vim is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is One Markdown free?

One Markdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Vim or One Markdown?

One Markdown is rated higher. Vim averages 2.9 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while One Markdown averages 4.6 from 141 ratings.

### Do Vim or One Markdown have ads?

Neither Vim nor One Markdown shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vim or One Markdown?

Vim ships an update every 9 months, and One Markdown monthly. Most recently, Vim was updated on October 12, 2026 and One Markdown on October 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*