Comparison

MarkDeck vs Markdown Reader

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

Head to head
About

MarkDeck

Features
Read full description

MarkDeck is a fast, beautiful reader for Markdown, PDF and EPUB on iPhone and iPad. Open any .md, .pdf or .epub file and read it your way — with your own themes, your own fonts, and a clean, focused layout. Whether you're a developer viewing README files, a student reading PDF notes, or a book lover with an EPUB library — MarkDeck makes reading a delight. BEAUTIFUL RENDERING FOR EVERY FORMAT MarkDeck renders Markdown with pixel-perfect precision — scrollable tables, syntax-highlighted code, clickable links, inline images. PDFs and EPUB books open in the same calm reader, one unified library for everything you read. 20 READING THEMES 15 themes free — Light, Dark, Sepia, Paper, AMOLED, Nord, Dracula, Solarized, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night and more — plus 5 premium palettes with MarkDeck Pro (E-Ink, Contrast+, Abyss, Amber, Mint). Switch themes without leaving the page. YOUR FONTS, YOUR WAY Two independent font settings: one for the app's interface, one for the words you're reading — so a cozy serif for your book never restyles your menus. Two fonts free, eight more with Pro. COMFORTABLE PDF READING Fit-to-width zoom that remembers your setting per document, Night and Warm color modes for easier reading (Pro), password-protected PDFs open right in the app, and continuous or page-by-page navigation — your choice. FULL-SCREEN IMMERSIVE READING One tap hides everything but the page — like Kindle or Apple Books — with a slim progress line so you never lose your place. BOOKMARKS, HIGHLIGHTS & NOTES Reliable bookmarks that always take you back to the right spot. Tap to highlight any passage, pick a color, add a note (Pro) — all searchable in one panel. A table of contents jumps you straight to any chapter. READING STATS See your total time, streak, and sessions at a glance; Pro adds a full activity heatmap. OPEN FILES FROM ANY APP Received a .md, .pdf or .epub file in Mail, Files, or a chat app? Open it straight into MarkDeck. PASTE & READ, OR IMPORT A LINK Paste Markdown from any app or AI tool and read it instantly. Or paste a web link and MarkDeck fetches and renders it as clean, readable text - no file needed either way. EDIT WHEN YOU NEED TO Make quick edits to your Markdown and save changes or a new copy, without leaving the reader. FAST, OFFLINE & PRIVATE No account needed to read. Everything works with no connection, and your documents never leave your device. MULTILINGUAL Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese — pick your language independently of your device's. MARKDECK PRO Unlock all 20 themes, all 10 fonts, PDF color modes, unlimited bookmarks and highlights with notes, multiple documents at once, reading stats with heatmap, and PDF export — with a 7-day free trial. PERFECT FOR: developers reading documentation and READMEs, students with PDF handouts, book lovers with an EPUB library, and anyone who receives .md, .pdf or .epub files by email, chat, or AI tools. SUPPORTED FORMATS: .md · .markdown · .txt · .pdf · .epub Open any Markdown, PDF or EPUB file and read it beautifully — no account needed, works offline. Privacy Policy: https://markdeck.dev/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Markdown Reader

This application offers a focused and beautiful reading experience for Markdown files. It provides multiple themes, syntax highlighting for various programming languages, and easy navigation through auto-generated tables of contents. It's designed for users who need to read Markdown documents without the complexity of an editor.

Highlights
  • Multiple beautiful themes
  • Dark mode support
  • Syntax highlighting for 15 languages
  • Auto-generated table of contents
  • Customizable fonts and sizes
  • Open files from cloud storage
Features
Read full description

With AI tools generating more Markdown files than ever — READMEs, technical docs, meeting notes, reports — we spend more time reading Markdown than writing it. You don't need a full-featured editor for that. You need a beautiful reader. Markdown Reader is a view-only app built for one purpose: reading Markdown files beautifully. There's no editor. No writing tools. Just a clean, focused reading experience. —— ◆ Features ◎ Multiple beautiful themes ◎ Dark mode support ◎ Syntax highlighting for 15 languages ◎ Auto-generated table of contents with one-tap navigation ◎ Customizable fonts ◎ Adjustable font size and line spacing ◎ Open files from iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, and any Files app provider Supported languages: Swift, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Rust, Go, Ruby, Kotlin, Dart, HTML, CSS, SQL, JSON, YAML, Shell (Bash) —— ◆ Perfect For ・Reading AI-generated Markdown files with ease ・Reviewing GitHub READMEs and docs on your iPhone ・Browsing your Markdown notes in a clean, readable format ・Anyone looking for a lightweight, distraction-free Markdown viewer —— No bloat. No unnecessary features. Just beautiful Markdown reading.

Screenshots

MarkDeck4 screens
Markdown Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MarkDeck at Free against Markdown Reader's $3.99. MarkDeck also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.2). Markdown Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

MarkDeck is free to download; Markdown Reader costs $3.99 up front. MarkDeck sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Markdown Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MarkDeck ships an update every 2 days, Markdown Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MarkDeck versus Markdown Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkDeckMarkdown Reader
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size90 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJeisson SeguraRakko Inc.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

MarkDeck

Subscriptions2
  • MarkDeck Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • MarkDeck Pro Annual7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • MarkDeck Pro Lifetime$44.99
None

Markdown Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MarkDeck free?
MarkDeck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Markdown Reader free?
Markdown Reader costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do MarkDeck or Markdown Reader have ads?
MarkDeck shows ads; Markdown Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, MarkDeck or Markdown Reader?
MarkDeck ships an update every 2 days, and Markdown Reader every 2 weeks. Most recently, MarkDeck was updated on September 21, 2026 and Markdown Reader on September 9, 2026.

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