Comparison

Markdown Vault vs RelatedWorks

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

Head to head
About

Markdown Vault

Features
Read full description

Markdown Vault is a calm, focused way to read your Markdown notes on iPhone and iPad. Turn your knowledge base into a clean, distraction-free reading experience with beautifully rendered Markdown, fast navigation, and reliable offline access. Whether you’re reviewing docs, study notes, or personal writing, Markdown Vault helps you find what you need and stay in flow. Key features: - Clean Markdown rendering optimized for mobile reading - Fast browsing and search across your library - Offline access to your saved content - Smart organization for notebooks, folders, and files - Reading-first design with a lightweight, native iOS feel Built for people who think in Markdown: - Developers and technical writers - Students and researchers - Teams sharing internal documentation Anyone who wants their notes in plain text, readable anywhere Markdown Vault keeps your content simple, portable, and always within reach.

About

RelatedWorks

Features
Read full description

RelatedWorks is a native macOS and iOS/iPadOS app built for Computer Science researchers. It helps you manage the papers you read, annotate them with cross-referenced notes, and automatically draft the Related Works section of your next paper. Features * Project-based workspaces β€” one project per paper you're writing * Import PDFs with AI-powered metadata extraction (macOS only) * PDF Inbox via Share Extension β€” send PDFs from Safari or Files into a synced Inbox, then bulk import captured papers on macOS * Search DBLP and arXiv to fetch bibliographic data automatically (macOS only) * Semantic IDs β€” give each paper a short memorable tag like @Transformer or @BERT * Cross-reference annotations β€” link papers using @mentions in your notes * Citation Graph β€” compare @mentions, in-project references, and shared outside references for each project (macOS only) * Generate a streaming LaTeX-ready Related Works draft with one click (macOS only) * Per-project generation prompts with presets for Survey, Research Paper, Tech Report, or Custom (macOS only) * Export BibTeX entries fetched from DBLP or auto-generated (macOS only) * iCloud Drive sync β€” keep your library in sync across Mac and iPhone/iPad * Export, import, and open projects from Finder as .relatedworks files (macOS); import projects on iPhone and iPad * Supports Ollama and Google Gemini (macOS only) * iPhone and iPad companion app β€” browse papers, review notes, and make lightweight edits on the go * Automation and linking support β€” relatedworks:// deep links, read-only AppleScript, and Hookmark integration On iPhone and iPad, RelatedWorks is designed primarily as a companion viewer and lightweight editor for your research library. The iOS/iPadOS app does not require or rely on any AI backend; instead, it syncs your library seamlessly from the macOS version via iCloud. You can comfortably browse papers, review notes, and refine annotations on the go, making it easy to continue working on your literature and prepare for writing wherever you are. Any annotations you edit on iPhone or iPad automatically sync back to your Mac, providing a smooth β€œgo-and-work” experience for paper reading and writing.

Screenshots

Markdown Vault4 screens
RelatedWorks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Markdown Vault at 18.2 against RelatedWorks's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Markdown Vault ships an update every 4 days, RelatedWorks weekly. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Markdown Vault versus RelatedWorks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkdown VaultRelatedWorks
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days β€” betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” better
Requires iOS18.2 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size19 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeer AssemblyJunxue ZHANG

In-app purchases

None

Markdown Vault

No in-app purchases

None

RelatedWorks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Markdown Vault free?
Markdown Vault is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RelatedWorks free?
RelatedWorks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Markdown Vault or RelatedWorks have ads?
Neither Markdown Vault nor RelatedWorks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Markdown Vault or RelatedWorks?
Markdown Vault ships an update every 4 days, and RelatedWorks weekly. Most recently, Markdown Vault was updated on November 5, 2026 and RelatedWorks on November 5, 2026.

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