Comparison

Inkiostro vs MarkIOY

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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)
Features
Read full description

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

Inkiostro4 screens
MarkIOY4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Inkiostro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MarkIOY asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Inkiostro ships an update weekly, MarkIOY every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Inkiostro versus MarkIOY: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInkiostroMarkIOY
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarlo Di Giuseppe印超 吕

Customer experience

Inkiostro

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

MarkIOY

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Inkiostro

One-time1
  • Inkiostro Pro$19.99
None

MarkIOY

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Inkiostro free?
Inkiostro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MarkIOY free?
MarkIOY is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Inkiostro or MarkIOY?
MarkIOY is rated higher. Inkiostro averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while MarkIOY averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Inkiostro or MarkIOY have ads?
Neither Inkiostro nor MarkIOY shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Inkiostro or MarkIOY?
Inkiostro ships an update weekly, and MarkIOY every 3 weeks. Most recently, Inkiostro was updated on October 13, 2026 and MarkIOY on October 19, 2026.

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