Comparison

Markdown Viewer Mobile 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 Viewer Mobile

Features
Read full description

MarkdownViewer is a distraction-free reader for .md files on iPhone and iPad. Open a file from Files, AirDrop, or a shared link; or sync an entire documentation repository from GitHub and read it offline. Just exploring? The app ships with a curated library of example documents covering every feature below — sync it with one tap from the "Try it" card on the library screen. RICH RENDERING • Full CommonMark + GitHub Flavored Markdown • Mermaid diagrams rendered inline • LaTeX math (inline and display) via KaTeX-compatible engine • Syntax-highlighted code blocks across 190+ languages • GFM tables, task lists, footnotes, strikethrough • GitHub-style admonitions (NOTE, WARNING, TIP, CAUTION) READING COMFORT • Material 3 design with light, dark, and sepia themes • Adjustable font size, reading width, and line height • Immersive scroll — the app bar fades away as you read • Table of contents drawer with one-tap navigation • In-document search with match counter • Reading-position bookmark — resume exactly where you left off • Keep-screen-on toggle for long-form reading • Reading time estimate BRING YOUR OWN DOCS • Sync any public GitHub repository with a single URL • Private repos supported via a personal access token (stored in the iOS Keychain — never in the app's database) • Incremental re-sync — only changed files download • Re-sync or remove a synced repo from the drawer EXPORT AND SHARE • Export any document to PDF with mermaid diagrams preserved • Share the raw markdown or a rendered PDF via the system share sheet PRIVACY BY DESIGN • No accounts, ever • Zero telemetry by default • Crash reporting is opt-in and excludes document content, file paths, and tokens • The only network traffic is to GitHub when you explicitly sync Made in the open on GitHub. Licensed under Apache-2.0.

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 Viewer Mobile4 screens
Marklens3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Markdown Viewer Mobile at every 4 days against Marklens's monthly. Markdown Viewer Mobile also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Markdown Viewer Mobile ships an update every 4 days, Marklens monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Markdown Viewer Mobile versus Marklens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkdown Viewer MobileMarklens
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCemil IlikDonald Jackson

In-app purchases

None

Markdown Viewer Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Marklens

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Markdown Viewer Mobile free?
Markdown Viewer Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Marklens free?
Marklens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Markdown Viewer Mobile or Marklens have ads?
Neither Markdown Viewer Mobile nor Marklens shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Markdown Viewer Mobile or Marklens?
Markdown Viewer Mobile ships an update every 4 days, and Marklens monthly. Most recently, Markdown Viewer Mobile was updated on September 15, 2026 and Marklens on September 19, 2026.

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