# Render vs Read.md

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Read.md at 88% against Render's 40%. Read.md also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Render's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Read.md sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Render asks for nothing beyond the download.

Read.md holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Read.md has 81 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Render's written reviews are positive against 88% of Read.md's.

Render ships an update every 3 months, Read.md fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Render | Read.md |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/render-for-shortcuts/id6756882945/reviews) | **[5.0 (81 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readmd/id6760943472/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **81** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 4 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nate Ober](https://appshunter.io/developer/1863425553) | [Pavel Abin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1510604971) |

## What reviewers say

### Render

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/render-for-shortcuts/id6756882945)

This utility app renders HTML and Markdown content beautifully. It integrates with Apple Shortcuts to view, convert, and share formatted text. Features include dark mode, adjustable fonts, and a history view.

**Highlights:** View HTML content natively, Render Markdown with full formatting, Convert Markdown to HTML, Dark mode support, Adjustable font sizes, Share content via Share Extension, View history

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Read.md

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readmd/id6760943472)

This app allows you to beautifully view markdown files on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. It offers perfect rendering of complex elements like tables, code blocks, and diagrams, with offline support and privacy in mind.

**Highlights:** Perfect markdown rendering, Syntax highlighting for 180+ languages, Mermaid diagram rendering, GitHub repository browsing, Export to PDF & HTML (Pro), Smart diagram fixing, Auto-generated table of contents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read.md Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Read.md Pro (Lifetime) | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Render free?

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

### Is Read.md free?

Read.md is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Render or Read.md?

Read.md is rated higher. Render averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Read.md averages 5.0 from 81 ratings.

### Do Render or Read.md have ads?

Neither Render nor Read.md shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Render or Read.md?

Render ships an update every 3 months, and Read.md fortnightly. Most recently, Render was updated on October 2, 2026 and Read.md on October 13, 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.*