Comparison

LightCal² vs MarkView

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

Head to head
About

LightCal²

This minimalist calendar app helps you manage your schedule and visualize important dates. It offers countdowns to future events and the ability to add special markers to specific days, bringing a sense of ritual to your time.

Highlights
  • Countdown to future events
  • Count up from past events
  • Date badges for special days
  • Detailed date information
  • Schedule management
  • Minimalist design
Features
Read full description

“What’s on the schedule today?” “How many days until the next anniversary?” LightCal² is a minimalist calendar app that brings multiple features together in one clean experience. View detailed date information at a glance. Comprehensive schedule management is built in. 【Countdown】 See exactly how far every special day is from today. “We’ve known each other for over two thousand days…” “Only a few days left before the exam…” “My child’s birthday is coming up — time to prepare a gift.” Whether counting down to the future or counting up from the past, every meaningful moment stays clear and visible. 【Date Badges】 Anchor meaningful moments directly onto specific dates. Add special markers to days that matter — small signs of a life well lived. “Maybe this would be perfect for marking work shifts…” “Our holiday schedule is a little different — better mark it.” Every ordinary day deserves to be taken seriously. With a clean and thoughtful design, LightCal² brings a sense of ritual to your time. More features are already on the way. If you have ideas or suggestions, feel free to reach out: dayscalendar@126.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://oceanic-scent-400.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-308b4bef53958043b3e7c99c6160dae4?pvs=74

About

MarkView

A lightweight and private Markdown reader for Apple devices. It focuses on a clean reading experience, fast loading, and robust privacy by processing all documents locally. Enjoy features like dark/light modes, table of contents, and full-text search.

Highlights
  • Lightweight and fast loading
  • Local processing for privacy
  • Dark and light modes
  • Table of contents and search
  • Supports Mermaid charts and math formulas
  • Read-only design
Read full description

MarkView is a lightweight, clutter-free Markdown viewer, built for fast, private, local document reading. Open Markdown notes, READMEs, exported files and long .md documents effortlessly on iPhone and iPad. It strips away cumbersome project-management logic — simply open, read, and revisit your files anytime. Import and open files directly from the Files app or the system Share Sheet. No account sign-up, no cloud uploads — all your files stay local and private on your device. Core Features • Lightweight & Minimal Fast file loading and a clean, distraction-free reading interface, with no redundant toolbars or complicated setup. • Private Local Reading Every file renders locally on your device. No sign-ins, no cloud uploads — your document privacy is fully protected. • Optimized Reading Experience Elegant typography, adaptive light/dark modes, a table of contents, in-file search and progress tracking deliver comfortable reading even for long documents. • Full Format & System Support Supports all mainstream Markdown formats, native Files and Share Sheet access, plus quick revisit through recent documents. • Rich Rendering & Safe Read-Only Faithfully renders tables, code blocks, Mermaid diagrams, math formulas and more. Pure read-only mode never modifies your original files. If you're looking for a lightweight, elegant, privacy-focused Markdown viewer that respects your local files, MarkView is your ideal choice.

Screenshots

LightCal²4 screens
MarkView4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: LightCal² at Free against MarkView's $0.99. MarkView's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On update cadence, ads and device support 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

LightCal² is free to download; MarkView costs $0.99 up front. LightCal² sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. MarkView asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LightCal² ships an update fortnightly, MarkView every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
LightCal² versus MarkView: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightCal²MarkView
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperQingyun Software Studio迪 黎

Customer experience

LightCal²

Written reviews27 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral18.5%
Negative14.8%

MarkView

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

LightCal²

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly14 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Annual14 Days trial$1.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$4.99
None

MarkView

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LightCal² free?
LightCal² is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MarkView free?
MarkView costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do LightCal² or MarkView have ads?
Neither LightCal² nor MarkView shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LightCal² or MarkView?
LightCal² ships an update fortnightly, and MarkView every 3 weeks. Most recently, LightCal² was updated on September 26, 2026 and MarkView on September 21, 2026.

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