Comparison

MDash vs Marklens

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

Head to head
About

MDash

This app is a plain text Markdown editor that stores your notes locally. It offers live rendering of Markdown, including diagrams, and syncs across Apple devices. Advanced features like PDF export and iCloud sync are available through a Pro subscription.

Highlights
  • Live Markdown rendering
  • Mermaid diagram generation
  • Cross-device Apple ecosystem support
  • Local note storage
  • Full-text search and find/replace
  • Document scanning and OCR
  • Import from other Markdown apps
Features
Read full description

MDash is a Markdown editor that keeps your notes as plain text on your device. No lock-in, no account, no sync you did not ask for. Write on iPhone, iPad and now Mac — the full workspace on every screen. MARKDOWN, RENDERED LIVE Type plain Markdown and watch the preview update as you type: headings, lists, task checkboxes, tables, code blocks with syntax awareness, links and images. Show the text, the preview, or both side by side. MERMAID DIAGRAMS — FREE FOR EVERYONE Describe a flowchart, sequence diagram, Gantt chart, class diagram or state machine in plain text and MDash draws it instantly. Rendering is built into the app: no network, nothing leaves your device. ON MAC AND APPLE WATCH The complete MDash workspace runs on macOS — a three-column library, keyboard-first editing and the same live preview and Mermaid rendering. On Apple Watch, browse your library and read any note on your wrist. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Watch. YOUR LIBRARY, ORGANIZED • Pinned notes, Last 7 Days, and Trash with restore • Full-text search across every note, with jump to match • In-document find and replace with match highlighting • Attach photos to notes; files stay ordinary Markdown • Folders keep related notes together; create one right from the sidebar • Tags under the title, a Tags section in the sidebar, and search by tag • Smart folders collect notes automatically from the tags you choose • Scan documents into a note, and search the text inside photos and scans — on device, free • Import from Obsidian, Bear, Apple Notes, TextBundle or any folder of Markdown files — free • Version History keeps earlier versions of every note on device, ready to restore — free EXPORT AND SHARE • Export Markdown and plain text — free • Copy as rich text for mail and documents • PDF, HTML, Word (DOCX), ePub, RTF, JPG and TextBundle export with MDash Pro MDASH PRO — LIFETIME OR MONTHLY MDash Pro unlocks iCloud sync across your devices, export to PDF, HTML, Word, ePub and more, and watermark-free Mermaid diagrams. Choose a one-time lifetime purchase or a monthly subscription — both unlock exactly the same features. The monthly subscription renews automatically until cancelled; manage or cancel it anytime in your App Store account settings. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Notes are stored on device; sync is optional and uses your iCloud. Mermaid rendering is local. There is no tracking and no account. Questions or ideas? Leave a review or reach out through the App Store page — MDash is built by an independent developer and shaped by user feedback. Terms of Use: https://nightcodeapps.com/apps/markdown-editor/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://nightcodeapps.com/apps/markdown-editor/privacy/

About

Marklens

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
Read full description

Marklens is a fast, native Markdown viewer for macOS, iPadOS, and iPhone. Open any .md file with a click and see it rendered immediately — beautiful typography, light and dark themes, syntax-highlighted code, and Mermaid diagrams. No editor, no library, no friction. HIGHLIGHTS • Instant render — every .md opens in a clean, focused window • 30+ language syntax highlighting via highlight.js, bundled offline • Mermaid 11 diagrams — flowcharts, sequence, state, xy-charts and more • GitHub-Flavored Markdown — tables, task lists, footnotes, strikethrough • Light and dark theme matching the system appearance • Quick Look on macOS — press Space on any .md in Finder for a rendered preview • Export to PDF on every platform • Pinch-to-zoom on iPadOS and iPhone, ⌘+ / ⌘− / ⌘0 on macOS • Open files via drag-and-drop, the Share Sheet, or the Files app MADE FOR READING Marklens doesn't try to be a notes app or a knowledge base. It opens a file, renders it perfectly, and gets out of the way. If you write Markdown in another tool — VS Code, Obsidian, GitHub, your favorite text editor — Marklens is the viewer you reach for to look at the result. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Marklens collects nothing. No analytics, no telemetry, no crash reports, no network requests. Every rendering asset — Mermaid, highlight.js, fonts — ships inside the app. Read the full privacy policy at https://donald-jackson.github.io/marklens/privacy/ OPEN SOURCE Marklens is MIT-licensed and developed in the open. Source, issues, and contribution guide live at https://github.com/donald-jackson/marklens.

Screenshots

MDash4 screens
Marklens3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MDash at 80% against Marklens's 0%. MDash also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and device support (6 vs 3). Marklens's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ratings volume, ads and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. MDash sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Marklens asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Marklens holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MDash ships an update every 4 days, Marklens monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
MDash versus Marklens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMDashMarklens
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (5 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArtur GorbaczewskiDonald Jackson

Customer experience

MDash

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Marklens

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

MDash

Subscriptions2
  • MDash Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • MDash Pro Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • MarkdownEditor Pro Lifetime$24.99
None

Marklens

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MDash free?
MDash is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
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 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Marklens averages 5.0 from 3 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 4 days, and Marklens monthly. Most recently, MDash was updated on October 31, 2026 and Marklens on November 5, 2026.

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