Comparison

Markdown Editor and MD Viewer vs Marklens

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

Head to head
About

Markdown Editor and MD Viewer

Features
Read full description

Markdown Editor & MD Viewer is a clean, offline Markdown editor and viewer for iPhone and iPad. Open any .md file, edit it with a live preview, and export it to PDF, HTML, or Word — with no subscription, no account, and no sign-in. Most Markdown apps now lock syncing or basic features behind a monthly fee. This one doesn't. The full editor is free, works completely offline, and keeps your files as plain .md — yours to move, back up, and own. WRITE WITHOUT DISTRACTION • Distraction-free editor with a live preview pane • Syntax highlighting for fenced code blocks • Focus styling that dims the markup so your words stand out • Word, character, and reading-time counts • Find & Replace • A formatting toolbar above the keyboard, plus hardware keyboard shortcuts on iPad OPEN AND VIEW ANY MARKDOWN • Open .md, .markdown, and .txt files straight from the Files app • Set as your default Markdown opener — "Open in" from Mail, Safari, and other apps • Tables, task lists, blockquotes, footnotes, and links render in the preview • LaTeX math and a linked table of contents EXPORT AND SHARE • Export to PDF for printing and sharing • Export to HTML • Export to Word (.docx) that opens in Word, Pages, and Google Docs • Copy as HTML or share the raw .md file STARTER TEMPLATES • README, notes, blog post, and more — start from a clean structure PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Works fully offline • No account, no login, no cloud lock-in • Your documents stay on your device Built for developers, technical writers, students, and anyone who keeps notes in Markdown. No subscription. No account. Just a Markdown editor that respects your files.

About

Marklens

This app is a fast, native Markdown viewer for macOS, iPadOS, and iPhone. It renders .md files instantly with beautiful typography, themes, syntax highlighting, and diagrams. Designed for reading, it offers a private and friction-free experience.

Highlights
  • Instant Markdown rendering
  • Syntax highlighting for 30+ languages
  • Mermaid diagram support
  • GitHub-Flavored Markdown
  • Light and dark themes
  • Export to PDF
  • Quick Look preview on macOS
Features
Read full description

Marklens is a fast, native Markdown viewer for macOS, iPadOS, and iPhone. Open any .md file with a click and see it rendered immediately — beautiful typography, light and dark themes, syntax-highlighted code, and Mermaid diagrams. No editor, no library, no friction. HIGHLIGHTS • Instant render — every .md opens in a clean, focused window • 30+ language syntax highlighting via highlight.js, bundled offline • Mermaid 11 diagrams — flowcharts, sequence, state, xy-charts and more • GitHub-Flavored Markdown — tables, task lists, footnotes, strikethrough • Light and dark theme matching the system appearance • Quick Look on macOS — press Space on any .md in Finder for a rendered preview • Export to PDF on every platform • Pinch-to-zoom on iPadOS and iPhone, ⌘+ / ⌘− / ⌘0 on macOS • Open files via drag-and-drop, the Share Sheet, or the Files app MADE FOR READING Marklens doesn't try to be a notes app or a knowledge base. It opens a file, renders it perfectly, and gets out of the way. If you write Markdown in another tool — VS Code, Obsidian, GitHub, your favorite text editor — Marklens is the viewer you reach for to look at the result. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Marklens collects nothing. No analytics, no telemetry, no crash reports, no network requests. Every rendering asset — Mermaid, highlight.js, fonts — ships inside the app. Read the full privacy policy at https://donald-jackson.github.io/marklens/privacy/ OPEN SOURCE Marklens is MIT-licensed and developed in the open. Source, issues, and contribution guide live at https://github.com/donald-jackson/marklens.

Screenshots

Markdown Editor and MD Viewer4 screens
Marklens3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Marklens at none against Markdown Editor and MD Viewer's 1. Markdown Editor and MD Viewer's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, 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. Markdown Editor and MD Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Marklens asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Markdown Editor and MD Viewer versus Marklens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkdown Editor and MD ViewerMarklens
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSahana A SDonald Jackson

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Markdown Editor and MD Viewer

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$19.99
None

Marklens

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Markdown Editor and MD Viewer free?
Markdown Editor and MD Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Marklens free?
Marklens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Markdown Editor and MD Viewer or Marklens have ads?
Neither Markdown Editor and MD Viewer nor Marklens shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Markdown Editor and MD Viewer or Marklens?
Markdown Editor and MD Viewer ships an update monthly, and Marklens monthly. Most recently, Markdown Editor and MD Viewer was updated on October 4, 2026 and Marklens on September 19, 2026.

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