Ember vs CleanMD
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ember
A fast and organized workspace for writing Markdown notes, storing PDFs, diagrams, and voice memos. It offers a vault for reusable prompts and syncs across Apple devices. Start for free with full editor access.
- Rich Markdown editor
- Inline PDF and image support
- Reusable prompt vault
- Daily notes, folders, and tags
- Instant search functionality
- Private iCloud sync
- Share Extension
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Your notes should feel like home. Ember is a warm, fast place to think — Markdown notes, PDFs, diagrams, voice memos, and a vault of reusable prompts, all in one calm workspace that syncs across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. WRITE IN RICH MARKDOWN A live editor with real formatting: headings, tables, task lists, links, highlights, footnotes, and code — rendered as you type, never in your way. Bullets, numbers, and checkboxes feel native and effortless. MORE THAN TEXT Drop PDFs, images, diagrams, and voice notes right inline. Your references live beside your writing, so everything about a thought stays in one place. A VAULT FOR YOUR PROMPTS Keep the prompts you reuse for writing, research, and planning in a dedicated Prompt Vault — organized, searchable, and a tap away when you need them. STAY ORGANIZED, STAY FAST Daily notes, folders, tags, smart filters, and pinned notes keep things tidy, and instant search finds anything the moment you look for it. YOURS EVERYWHERE Ember runs natively on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with optional private iCloud sync, widgets, and a Share Extension for capturing from anywhere. FREE TO START Capture notes, PDFs, prompts, and attachments with the full editor — free, no account required. EMBER PRO Unlock advanced themes and alternate icons, premium writing and organization workflows, and deeper Prompt Vault tools, as a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No accounts. No ads. No selling your words. Your notes stay on your device and your own iCloud. Make a home for your thinking. Download Ember Notes. TERMS & PRIVACY Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://embernotes.app/privacy
CleanMD
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CleanMD turns PDFs, scans, screenshots, and document images into clean Markdown you can copy, save, or share. Built for people who collect knowledge on iPhone and iPad, CleanMD helps you move source material into note apps and AI tools without turning the workflow into a platform. What you can do: - Import PDFs or images from Files or Photos - Choose Obsidian-ready, AI-ready, or Plain Markdown output - Preview the converted Markdown before exporting - Copy, save, or share Markdown files - Keep recent results locally on your device Privacy-conscious by design: - No account required - No ads - Optional analytics only after your consent - Files are uploaded only when you choose to convert - Converted results stay on this device unless you export them To convert a file, CleanMD uploads it to a secure third-party parsing service. Please do not upload sensitive personal, legal, medical, financial, or confidential documents unless you accept third-party processing. CleanMD is a focused utility for turning static documents into portable Markdown for study, research, writing, and personal knowledge workflows. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CleanMD at none against Ember's 3. CleanMD also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). Ember's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). 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
Both are free to download. Ember sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. CleanMD asks for nothing beyond the download.
Ember ships an update every 10 days, CleanMD monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ember | CleanMD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rene DeAnda | 袁凯 张 |
In-app purchases
Ember
- Ember Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Ember Pro Annual$34.991 Year
- Ember Pro Lifetime$99.99
CleanMD
No in-app purchases









