# Raven vs em

The clearest difference is price: Raven at $12.99 against em's $19.99. Raven also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 days) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). em's advantage is chart position (#66 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Raven costs $12.99 and em $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Raven against 5.0 for em. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Raven ships an update every 2 days, em every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Raven | em |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$12.99** | $19.99 |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raven-markdown-notes/id6761693183/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/em-markdown-writer-and-editor/id6797005003/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#66** |
| Size | 88 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Sivilay](https://appshunter.io/developer/936509766) | [Justin Cox](https://appshunter.io/developer/6797005005) |

## What reviewers say

### Raven

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raven-markdown-notes/id6761693183)

This app allows you to quickly open and write markdown notes as plain .md files. It offers fast launch times, native performance on iPhone and Mac, and seamless syncing between devices. Your notes are stored directly in your file system for easy access and integration with other tools.

**Highlights:** Plain .md file storage, Under a second launch time, Native iPhone and Mac app, Full-text search, Nested folders and pinned notes, Syncs between Mac and iPhone

**In-app purchases:** none


### em

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/em-markdown-writer-and-editor/id6797005003)

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

A distraction-free Markdown editor for Mac, iPad, and iPhone that keeps your writing files private and accessible. Features smart search, automatic version history, and optional AI assistance for editing and content review.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free Markdown editor, Smart Search with filters and Smart Folders, Automatic version history stored in iCloud, Ghost site integration for publishing, On-device AI for editing and review, Offline editing capabilities, Customizable reader and editor

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Raven free?

Raven costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is em free?

em costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Raven or em?

Raven and em are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Raven or em have ads?

Neither Raven nor em shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Raven or em?

Raven ships an update every 2 days, and em every 9 days. Most recently, Raven was updated on October 14, 2026 and em on October 15, 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.*