# MDash vs Marklens

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.

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

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | MDash | Marklens |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mdash-writing-app-and-notes/id6758559893/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marklens-markdown-reader/id6775853573/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 64 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-writing-app-and-notes/id6758559893)

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:** Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Fun Camera support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MDash Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| MDash Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| MarkdownEditor Pro Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


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