Comparison

Writer for Markdown vs SoloMD

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

Head to head
About

Writer for Markdown

Features
Read full description

Writer is a lightweight yet powerful Markdown editor for multiple platforms (macOS, iOS and more). It combines distraction-free writing, real-time preview, flexible themes, document outline navigation, Markdown-to-PNG export on both platforms, and Finder Quick Look support on macOS for a smoother reading and sharing workflow. ## Features 1. **Markdown Editing**: Full support for standard Markdown syntax with syntax-aware text editing. 2. **Real-time Preview**: Review rendered Markdown while writing with a smooth editing and preview workflow. 3. **Theme System**: Choose from built-in light and dark themes, or import custom CSS themes. 4. **Code Highlighting**: 83 built-in code highlighting themes powered by Highlight.js. 5. **Outline View**: Automatically parse Markdown headings to generate a document outline for quick navigation. 6. **Markdown PNG Export**: Export Markdown content as PNG for sharing, archiving, or quick publishing. ### iOS 1. **Image Support**: Insert images from the photo library or Files picker while editing on the go. 2. **Document Browser Integration**: Works with iCloud Drive and other file providers through the system document browser. http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula

About

SoloMD

A distraction-free Markdown editor for iPad, focusing on writing with live preview, rich syntax, and export options. Your notes are stored locally as plain text files.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free writing environment
  • Live Markdown preview
  • KaTeX math and Mermaid diagram support
  • Multiple export formats (HTML, PDF, DOCX)
  • File tree and outline view
  • Focus and typewriter modes
  • Split-view and multitasking support
Features
Read full description

SoloMD is a lightweight, distraction-free Markdown editor for iPad. One file. One window. Just write. Built from the ground up as a focused writing tool - no account, no cloud, no telemetry, no subscription. Your notes stay in plain .md and .txt files on your iPad, readable by any editor on any platform, today and in ten years. CORE EDITING - Live preview - Markdown symbols fade out after the cursor leaves the line. - Rich syntax styling - real big headings, real bold, real monospace for code. - Light and Dark themes that follow iPad system appearance. - Multi-encoding - auto-detects UTF-8, UTF-16, GBK, Big5. - Tabs with dirty indicators. - File tree sidebar, outline view, and global search. MARKDOWN POWER - KaTeX math - inline and block math render instantly. - Mermaid diagrams - flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts. - Task lists with clickable checkboxes. - Footnotes, YAML front-matter, text highlighting. - Syntax highlighting for 13 plus languages. - Synced split-pane scroll. - Tap an image or Mermaid diagram to open a pinch-zoomable overlay. BUILT FOR IPAD - 44 pt touch targets across toolbar, outline, and file tree. - Larger default font sizes tuned for iPad screen distance. - Split-view and multitasking friendly. - Works with hardware keyboards. - Portrait and landscape, every orientation. WRITER TOOLS - Focus mode - non-current paragraphs dim for deep work. - Typewriter mode. - Session restore - auto-saves so you never lose a line. - Chinese power tools - simplified/traditional conversion, pinyin, CJK word counts. - Spell check. - Custom CSS. EXPORT - HTML (newsletter quality) - PDF with KaTeX and Mermaid baked in - Word (.docx) with tables preserved - Copy as HTML, plain text, or Markdown PRIVACY FIRST SoloMD collects no personal data. No account. No analytics. No ads. No tracking. All your notes live locally in files you own. SoloMD is open source (MIT). Source: github.com/zhitongblog/solomd

Screenshots

Writer for Markdown4 screens
SoloMD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SoloMD at none against Writer for Markdown's 3. SoloMD also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads and 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

Both are free to download. Writer for Markdown sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. SoloMD asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Writer for Markdown ships an update monthly, SoloMD weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Writer for Markdown versus SoloMD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWriter for MarkdownSoloMD
PriceFreeFree
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer鑫 肇向东 李

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Writer for Markdown

Subscriptions1
  • Writer Pro Weekly$0.997 Days
One-time2
  • Writer Pro one-time Purchase macOS$9.99
  • Writer Pro one-time Purchase iOS$9.99
None

SoloMD

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Writer for Markdown free?
Writer for Markdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SoloMD free?
SoloMD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Writer for Markdown or SoloMD have ads?
Neither Writer for Markdown nor SoloMD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Writer for Markdown or SoloMD?
Writer for Markdown ships an update monthly, and SoloMD weekly. Most recently, Writer for Markdown was updated on October 7, 2026 and SoloMD on October 5, 2026.

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