Comparison

Markdown Reader vs RelatedWorks

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

Head to head
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.

About

RelatedWorks

Features
Read full description

RelatedWorks is a native macOS and iOS/iPadOS app built for Computer Science researchers. It helps you manage the papers you read, annotate them with cross-referenced notes, and automatically draft the Related Works section of your next paper. Features * Project-based workspaces — one project per paper you're writing * Import PDFs with AI-powered metadata extraction (macOS only) * PDF Inbox via Share Extension — send PDFs from Safari or Files into a synced Inbox, then bulk import captured papers on macOS * Search DBLP and arXiv to fetch bibliographic data automatically (macOS only) * Semantic IDs — give each paper a short memorable tag like @Transformer or @BERT * Cross-reference annotations — link papers using @mentions in your notes * Citation Graph — compare @mentions, in-project references, and shared outside references for each project (macOS only) * Generate a streaming LaTeX-ready Related Works draft with one click (macOS only) * Per-project generation prompts with presets for Survey, Research Paper, Tech Report, or Custom (macOS only) * Export BibTeX entries fetched from DBLP or auto-generated (macOS only) * iCloud Drive sync — keep your library in sync across Mac and iPhone/iPad * Export, import, and open projects from Finder as .relatedworks files (macOS); import projects on iPhone and iPad * Supports Ollama and Google Gemini (macOS only) * iPhone and iPad companion app — browse papers, review notes, and make lightweight edits on the go * Automation and linking support — relatedworks:// deep links, read-only AppleScript, and Hookmark integration On iPhone and iPad, RelatedWorks is designed primarily as a companion viewer and lightweight editor for your research library. The iOS/iPadOS app does not require or rely on any AI backend; instead, it syncs your library seamlessly from the macOS version via iCloud. You can comfortably browse papers, review notes, and refine annotations on the go, making it easy to continue working on your literature and prepare for writing wherever you are. Any annotations you edit on iPhone or iPad automatically sync back to your Mac, providing a smooth “go-and-work” experience for paper reading and writing.

Screenshots

Markdown Reader4 screens
RelatedWorks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RelatedWorks at Free against Markdown Reader's $3.99. RelatedWorks also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, device support 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

RelatedWorks is free to download; Markdown Reader costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Markdown Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, RelatedWorks every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Markdown Reader versus RelatedWorks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkdown ReaderRelatedWorks
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS26.226.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRakko Inc.Junxue ZHANG

In-app purchases

None

Markdown Reader

No in-app purchases

None

RelatedWorks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Markdown Reader free?
Markdown Reader costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RelatedWorks free?
RelatedWorks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Markdown Reader or RelatedWorks have ads?
Neither Markdown Reader nor RelatedWorks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Markdown Reader or RelatedWorks?
Markdown Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, and RelatedWorks every 5 days. Most recently, Markdown Reader was updated on September 9, 2026 and RelatedWorks on September 19, 2026.

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