# MDash vs Marklens

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MDash at 67% against Marklens's 0%. MDash also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and device support (6 vs 3). Marklens's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.7). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Marklens holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of MDash's written reviews are positive against 0% of Marklens's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

MDash ships an update every 3 days, Marklens monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MDash | Marklens |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mdash-markdown-notes-editor/id6758559893/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marklens-markdown-reader/id6775853573/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 59 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Artur Gorbaczewski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1858386308) | [Donald Jackson](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775853575) |

## What reviewers say

### MDash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mdash-markdown-notes-editor/id6758559893)

This app offers a live split-view editor for Markdown with real-time preview and syntax highlighting. It also supports Mermaid diagram rendering directly within documents, allowing for efficient text formatting and creation of visual aids.

**Highlights:** Live split-view Markdown editing, Real-time preview with syntax highlighting, Mermaid diagram rendering, Export to MD, TXT, or PDF, Auto-save functionality, Dark mode support

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


### Marklens

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marklens-markdown-reader/id6775853573)

This app is a fast, native Markdown viewer for macOS, iPadOS, and iPhone. It renders .md files instantly with beautiful typography, themes, syntax highlighting, and diagrams. Designed for reading, it offers a private and friction-free experience.

**Highlights:** Instant Markdown rendering, Syntax highlighting for 30+ languages, Mermaid diagram support, GitHub-Flavored Markdown, Light and dark themes, Export to PDF, Quick Look preview on macOS

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MDash free?

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

### Is Marklens free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MDash or Marklens?

Marklens is rated higher. MDash averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Marklens averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do MDash or Marklens have ads?

Neither MDash nor Marklens shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MDash or Marklens?

MDash ships an update every 3 days, and Marklens monthly. Most recently, MDash was updated on October 5, 2026 and Marklens on October 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*