# Hal Universal vs ghostWriter Markdown

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hal Universal at none against ghostWriter Markdown's 4. ghostWriter Markdown's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ghostWriter Markdown sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Hal Universal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hal Universal ships an update every 6 weeks, ghostWriter Markdown every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hal Universal | ghostWriter Markdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghostwriter-markdown/id6795344477/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 30 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mark Friedlander](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812095304) | [Marco Salsiccia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864773757) |

## What reviewers say

### Hal Universal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hal-universal/id6754847753)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ghostWriter Markdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghostwriter-markdown/id6795344477)

A plain-text writing app designed with accessibility in mind. It allows users to create, organize, and export documents in various formats, with features like voice control and outline navigation.

**Highlights:** Accessibility-first plain-text editor, Organize documents and chapters, Compile work into finished exports, Supports multiple export formats (HTML, EPUB, PDF, Word), VoiceOver integration, Native Find and Replace, Outline navigation for headings

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Little Boo | $0.99 | one-time |
| Big Boo | $1.99 | one-time |
| Spooky Wail | $2.99 | one-time |
| Startling Scream | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hal Universal free?

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

### Is ghostWriter Markdown free?

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

### Do Hal Universal or ghostWriter Markdown have ads?

Neither Hal Universal nor ghostWriter Markdown shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hal Universal or ghostWriter Markdown?

Hal Universal ships an update every 6 weeks, and ghostWriter Markdown every 2 days. Most recently, Hal Universal was updated on November 5, 2026 and ghostWriter Markdown on October 31, 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.*