Markdown Reader & Editor vs SoloMD
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Markdown Reader & Editor
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The fast, beautiful way to read, write, and share Markdown on iPhone and iPad. Open any .md file and see it rendered instantly with clean typography. Write with a live side-by-side preview that updates as you type. Draw Mermaid diagrams, export polished PDFs, and work fully offline — no account required, no sync setup, no waiting. READ ANY MARKDOWN FILE - Open .md, README, and markdown files from Files, iCloud Drive, or any app - Beautiful rendered view with clean typography and dark mode - Syntax highlighting for fenced code blocks - Find text across your document instantly WRITE WITH LIVE PREVIEW - Side-by-side editor and preview, updating as you type - Quick-insert toolbar for headings, bold, lists, links, tables, and checkboxes - Find and replace, undo/redo, line numbers - Multiple editor themes: Dracula, Monokai, Nord, Solarized, and more MERMAID DIAGRAM STUDIO - Create flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, and Gantt charts in plain text - Live diagram preview as you type - Perfect for documentation, planning, and teaching EXPORT AND SHARE - Export to PDF with polished formatting - Export to HTML and DOCX - Share rendered documents straight from the app WORKS OFFLINE - No account required. No sign-up. - Your files stay on your device - Editing, preview and export work in airplane mode GO PRO The app is free with ads. Upgrade to Pro to remove ads and unlock every premium feature, with a simple monthly plan or a one-time lifetime unlock. Whether you are a developer reading a README, a writer drafting a post, a student taking notes, or a team documenting a project — this is the Markdown app that stays out of your way. Questions or ideas? Reach us any time from Settings inside the app. SUBSCRIPTION AND PRICING • Remove Ads — $19.99, one payment • Markdown Pro Monthly — $1.99 per month, renews automatically • Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase • A subscription renews unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://cosmovex.web.app/apps/mdvedit/privacy-policy
SoloMD
A fast, distraction-free Markdown editor for creating and managing plain text files. It offers live editing, real typography, and advanced Markdown features like math and diagrams. Designed for privacy, it stores notes in your own files without accounts or tracking.
- Live Markdown editing
- Focus and typewriter modes
- KaTeX math and Mermaid diagrams
- Export to PDF, Word, HTML
- Split view and keyboard shortcuts
- Chinese language support
- Privacy-focused design
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SoloMD is a calm, fast Markdown editor for iPhone and iPad. Open the app and you are writing — no account, no sign-up, no subscription. Your notes are plain .md and .txt files. Keep them in SoloMD's folder in the Files app, or open a folder you already use, and edit the files right where they are. Any editor on any device can read them, today and in ten years. WRITING FIRST - Live editing: Markdown marks step aside once the cursor leaves the line, so you see the document, not the syntax. - Real typography: big headings, true bold, monospaced code, comfortable line length. - Focus mode dims everything but the paragraph you are in; typewriter mode keeps your line at eye level. - A formatting bubble appears over selected text; a keyboard bar puts headings, lists, links and code one tap away. - Find and replace with match case, whole word and regular expressions. - Light and dark themes that follow the system. ON IPHONE - A notes home screen, search and a new-note button within thumb's reach. - Full-screen editor with a simple navigation bar. ON IPAD - Sidebar with your folders and notes, tabs, and an outline of the current document. - Split view and Slide Over friendly; works with hardware keyboards and ⌘ shortcuts. MARKDOWN THAT GOES FURTHER - KaTeX math, inline and display. - Mermaid flowcharts, sequence diagrams and Gantt charts. - Tables, task lists with tappable checkboxes, footnotes, front matter, highlights. - Syntax highlighting for 13+ languages. - Tap an image or diagram to view it full screen with pinch-zoom. - Fold headings to see the shape of a long document. FOR CHINESE WRITERS - Simplified ↔ Traditional conversion, pinyin, and CJK-aware word counts. - Chinese proofreading for half-width punctuation and common slips. - Opens UTF-8, UTF-16, GBK and Big5 files correctly. EXPORT AND SHARE - PDF with math and diagrams rendered. - Word (.docx) with tables kept. - HTML, or copy as HTML, plain text or Markdown. PRIVATE BY DESIGN SoloMD collects no data. No account, no analytics, no ads, no tracking. Your notes stay in files you own. SoloMD is open source under the MIT license: github.com/zhitongblog/solomd 100% FREE FOREVER & SUPPORTER BADGE Every feature in SoloMD is 100% free forever — no paywalls, no subscriptions, and no locked features. Optional one-time In-App Purchases (Buy a Coffee / Buy a Lunch / Generous Support) are purely voluntary tips to support independent open-source development, and permanently unlock the exclusive "Supporter" badge in Settings and About.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: SoloMD at none against Markdown Reader & Editor's shown. SoloMD also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). Markdown Reader & Editor's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases 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. Markdown Reader & Editor sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and SoloMD sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Markdown Reader & Editor ships an update every 6 weeks, SoloMD every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Markdown Reader & Editor | SoloMD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 78 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sahana A S | 向东 李 |
In-app purchases
Markdown Reader & Editor
- Pro Lifetime Limited Offer$5.99
- Pro Lifetime Limited Offer$7.99
- Pro Lifetime Limited Offer$9.99
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- Pro Lifetime Limited Offer$11.99
- Pro Lifetime Limited Offer$13.99
- Pro Lifetime Limited Offer$15.99
- Remove Ads$19.99
SoloMD
- Buy a Coffee$0.99
- Buy a Lunch$2.99
- Generous Support$9.99
Questions
Is Markdown Reader & Editor free?
Is SoloMD free?
Do Markdown Reader & Editor or SoloMD have ads?
Which is updated more often, Markdown Reader & Editor or SoloMD?
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