Inkiostro vs MarkIOY
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Inkiostro
A distraction-free Markdown editor for Apple devices. Organize files with color labels and tags, and write efficiently with a comprehensive toolbar and live preview. Syncs automatically via iCloud Drive.
- Color Labels for files and folders
- Custom tags for organization
- Complete Markdown toolbar
- Live preview with multiple themes
- Focus and Typewriter modes
- Native iCloud Drive sync
- External folder support
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Inkiostro is a Markdown editor for people who write — notes, documentation, theses, novels. Plain text files that stay yours, a preview that looks like a finished page, and exports ready to hand over. Write in Markdown, or in the visual editor and never see a symbol. Buy once, no subscription. No account, no tracking. WRITE, SEE, FINISH • Two ways to write: the Markdown editor shows the symbols, the visual editor formats as you type, like a word processor. Either way the file stays plain Markdown. (Visual editor: Pro, free for 7 days) • A complete Markdown toolbar: headings, lists, tables and code blocks, one tap away. • A side-by-side preview that comes back exactly where you left it. • LaTeX formulas typeset by KaTeX, and Mermaid diagrams drawn as you type. • 27 preview styles, 11 of them free: GitHub, Sepia, Nord, Solarized and more. With Pro, Manuscript, Book, Report, Academic and others set the page like print. • Focus and Typewriter modes, a live word count and a daily writing goal. FROM DRAFT TO BOOK • PDF with selectable text, formulas and diagrams included. Free, with a small credit line in the footer. • A professional ePub: real chapters, a cover, ISBN, series, footnotes that open over the page, and the accessibility declaration Europe requires. The export sheet tells you what a store would reject — before you send it. (Pro) • A book made of many files: one chapter per file, in a folder, in the order you choose. Arranging it is free; exporting it as a single ePub is Pro. • Self-contained HTML, and page setup for PDF: paper, margins, headers and page numbers. (Pro) NEVER LOSE A WORD • Version history: Inkiostro saves versions as you write. Search them, compare them line by line, and bring back a single word or a whole draft. (Pro) • Backups of your whole library: a dated zip archive with your version history inside, offered when one is due, while the app is open, in a folder you pick. Open it in the Files app and your Markdown files are right there. (Pro) YOUR FILES, YOUR RULES • Unlimited documents, as plain .md files you can open anywhere. • Folders, color labels and tags, with search that filters by tag. • iCloud Drive sync between iPhone, iPad and Mac, with no setup. • External folders: work directly inside any folder on your device or in iCloud Drive. (Pro) INKIOSTRO PRO — ONE PURCHASE, EVERY DEVICE One purchase unlocks Pro on iPhone, iPad and Mac, forever. Try it free for 7 days. • The visual editor • Version history with search, comparison and a year of versions • Backups of your library • Professional ePub, HTML, and books made of many files • PDF page setup • Focus and Typewriter modes • External folders • 24 app themes, the Pro preview styles and any font installed on your device MADE FOR • Writers: novels and essays in plain text, out as a real ebook • Students and researchers: notes and theses with proper formulas • Developers: READMEs, documentation and technical notes with diagrams • Anyone tired of paying every month for a text editor • Anyone new to Markdown: the visual editor works like a word processor PRIVACY Your documents stay in your iCloud Drive or on your device. No servers of ours, ever. Inkiostro collects only anonymous, aggregated usage statistics — never personal data, never the content of your documents — and you can turn them off in Settings.
MarkIOY
This app allows you to edit Markdown documents by directly interacting with rendered text and elements. It supports a wide range of Markdown features and offers image-to-Markdown conversion. Documents are stored locally, ensuring privacy and portability.
- Direct visual editing of rendered Markdown
- Supports front matter, task lists, code blocks, and more
- Image-to-Markdown conversion
- Local-first document storage
- Export to PDF, HTML, and Word
- Multiple view modes (Visual, Source, Split)
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MarkIOY is a local-first Markdown editor that lets you write from what you can see. Write what you see - Edit rendered headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables directly. Markdown updates as you work. - Switch between Visual, Markdown Source, and Split view to compare structure and result at the same time. Keep every document portable - Open and save local .md files from Files, iCloud Drive, Finder, or a chosen workspace. - Work with front matter, task lists, callouts, code blocks, tables, footnotes, LaTex math, and Mermaid diagrams. Turn images into Markdown - Take a photo, choose from Photos, or select an image file. Crop the area first, then generate Markdown for a formula, table, chart, or printed note. - Image conversion starts only when you choose it. The selected crop is used solely to return Markdown and is not stored or logged. Finish anywhere - Export to PDF, standalone HTML, or Word document. No account is required. Your core writing workflow stays local, and the Markdown stays yours.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MarkIOY at 5.0 against Inkiostro's 3.0. MarkIOY also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). Inkiostro's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). 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
Both are free to download. Inkiostro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MarkIOY asks for nothing beyond the download.
MarkIOY holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.
Inkiostro ships an update weekly, MarkIOY every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Inkiostro | MarkIOY |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Carlo Di Giuseppe | 印超 吕 |
Customer experience
Inkiostro
MarkIOY
In-app purchases
Inkiostro
- Inkiostro Pro$19.99
MarkIOY
No in-app purchases









