Scout vs MarkUp
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Scout
This app offers a frictionless note-taking experience using the Zettelkasten method. It focuses on quick idea capture and instant linking to build a connected web of knowledge, optimized for mobile use.
- Zero-friction note capture
- Superconductive idea linking
- iPhone-first design
- Minimalist interface
- Zettelkasten method implementation
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FROM CHAOS TO SUPERCONDUCTIVITY As a leader, your greatest asset is your thought process. But traditional note-taking apps are viscous—full of friction, complexity, and noise. Scout is different. Built by a mathematician for strategic thinkers, it brings the Zettelkasten method to your iPhone in its purest form. Why Scout? - Zero-Viscosity Capture: Open and write. No folders to manage, no loading screens to wait for. - Superconductive Linking: Connect ideas instantly. Create a web of knowledge that grows stronger over time. - iPhone-First Philosophy: While others build complex desktop suites, Scout is designed for the device in your pocket—where your best ideas actually happen. - Academic & Minimal: No distractions. Just you and your logic. Stop losing your best ideas to friction. Scout: Your pocket superconductor. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
MarkUp
A plain-text writing app supporting Markdown and LaTeX math equations for notes, research, and long-form content. Offers live preview, multiple export options, and folder syncing.
- Markdown formatting with live preview
- LaTeX math equation rendering
- Split view for writing and preview
- Export to PDF, HTML, RTF, and more
- Sync any folder from iCloud or device
- Customizable toolbar and keyboard shortcuts
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MarkUp is a writing app for notes, research, and long-form work. Edit Word documents with a true page layout, write in Markdown with live preview, or typeset a full LaTeX thesis with a real XeTeX engine that runs entirely on your device. For students, researchers, and technical writers — with the same features on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, in one universal purchase. Word (.docx) documents • Create and edit fully formatted Word documents with a real page layout • Tables you can type straight into — fonts, colors, shading, and bullets inside cells, with full undo • Charts with editable data, plus shapes and text boxes — drag anything anywhere and resize from any corner • Photos with text wrap: in line with text, in columns, behind text, or in front of text • Table of contents, captions and cross-references, citations with a works-cited list • Footnotes and endnotes, comments with replies, and tracked changes • Custom styles, multilevel and clause numbering, and newspaper columns • Page size, margins, line spacing, and headers & footers — saved per document • Calibri and Cambria render with matching character widths, so line breaks and page counts stay where Word put them • LaTeX math inside Word documents (Pro) LaTeX, offline (Pro) • A real XeTeX engine on your device — no internet, no account, nothing uploaded • Download the typesetting files once, then compile on a plane • Tap the rendered page to jump to the line that made it, and back again (SyncTeX) • Autocomplete for commands, citations, references, environments, and file paths • Errors and warnings marked in the margin, with plain-English explanations • Code check that catches common LaTeX mistakes before you compile • Search the typeset PDF, follow its outline, fold sections, step through pages • Math symbol palette, visual table builder, live preview of the equation at your cursor • Multi-file projects, BibTeX bibliographies, and ready-made templates Write in Markdown • Live rendered preview as you type • LaTeX math equation rendering (KaTeX) • Split view — write and preview side by side • Table editor with a visual grid • Find & replace with match highlighting • Word count and character count One app, all your devices • The same features on iPhone, iPad, and Mac — not a cut-down mobile version • One universal purchase: buy Pro once, use it everywhere • Documents, templates, and settings sync through iCloud Templates • Start from a ready-made article, paper, thesis, problem set, presentation, or CV • Save any document as a reusable template, for any file type (Pro) Version history • Automatically keeps earlier drafts as you edit • Compare any version against the current file with side-by-side rendered differences • Restore any earlier version in a tap (Pro) Files & workflow • Works with txt, md, tex, rmd, fountain, yaml, yml, json, csv, html, rtf, and docx files • Export to PDF, HTML, RTF, Markdown, LaTeX, Word, and plain text • Open and sync any folder from iCloud or your device, including subfolders • Find & replace across an entire folder • Customizable toolbar — show only what you need • Spell check that understands LaTeX, in the language you write in • Autosave, dark mode, and full keyboard shortcut support MarkUp is free to use. MarkUp Pro unlocks offline LaTeX typesetting, LaTeX math in Word documents, version history, your own templates, and unlimited file exports — as a one-time purchase or a yearly subscription, across all your devices. Privacy Policy: https://appsvaldonchevdeveloper.com/privacy/markup Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MarkUp at 5.0 against Scout's 1.0. MarkUp also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 weeks) and monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Scout sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and MarkUp sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
MarkUp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
Scout ships an update every 5 weeks, MarkUp every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Scout | MarkUp |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 60 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CHIYODA NAME PLATE SEISAKUSHO, K.K. | Valentin Donchev |
Customer experience
Scout
MarkUp
In-app purchases
Scout
- Scout Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
- Scout Premium Yearly$99.991 Year
- Lifetime VIP pass$199.99
MarkUp
- MarkUp Yearly$3.991 Year
- MarkUp Lifetime$9.99









