Comparison

SoloMD vs Markflow

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

Head to head
About

SoloMD

A distraction-free Markdown editor for iPad, focusing on writing with live preview, rich syntax, and export options. Your notes are stored locally as plain text files.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free writing environment
  • Live Markdown preview
  • KaTeX math and Mermaid diagram support
  • Multiple export formats (HTML, PDF, DOCX)
  • File tree and outline view
  • Focus and typewriter modes
  • Split-view and multitasking support
Features
Read full description

SoloMD is a lightweight, distraction-free Markdown editor for iPad. One file. One window. Just write. Built from the ground up as a focused writing tool - no account, no cloud, no telemetry, no subscription. Your notes stay in plain .md and .txt files on your iPad, readable by any editor on any platform, today and in ten years. CORE EDITING - Live preview - Markdown symbols fade out after the cursor leaves the line. - Rich syntax styling - real big headings, real bold, real monospace for code. - Light and Dark themes that follow iPad system appearance. - Multi-encoding - auto-detects UTF-8, UTF-16, GBK, Big5. - Tabs with dirty indicators. - File tree sidebar, outline view, and global search. MARKDOWN POWER - KaTeX math - inline and block math render instantly. - Mermaid diagrams - flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts. - Task lists with clickable checkboxes. - Footnotes, YAML front-matter, text highlighting. - Syntax highlighting for 13 plus languages. - Synced split-pane scroll. - Tap an image or Mermaid diagram to open a pinch-zoomable overlay. BUILT FOR IPAD - 44 pt touch targets across toolbar, outline, and file tree. - Larger default font sizes tuned for iPad screen distance. - Split-view and multitasking friendly. - Works with hardware keyboards. - Portrait and landscape, every orientation. WRITER TOOLS - Focus mode - non-current paragraphs dim for deep work. - Typewriter mode. - Session restore - auto-saves so you never lose a line. - Chinese power tools - simplified/traditional conversion, pinyin, CJK word counts. - Spell check. - Custom CSS. EXPORT - HTML (newsletter quality) - PDF with KaTeX and Mermaid baked in - Word (.docx) with tables preserved - Copy as HTML, plain text, or Markdown PRIVACY FIRST SoloMD collects no personal data. No account. No analytics. No ads. No tracking. All your notes live locally in files you own. SoloMD is open source (MIT). Source: github.com/zhitongblog/solomd

About

Markflow

This app allows you to open and read markdown files from various sources like Files, Mail, and Safari. It supports GitHub-flavored markdown, code syntax highlighting, and diagrams, with an integrated editor and a clean preview mode.

Highlights
  • Open .md, .markdown, .mdown files
  • GitHub-flavored markdown rendering
  • Syntax-highlighted code blocks
  • Mermaid diagram support
  • Markdown editing toolbar
  • Pinch to zoom
  • Export edited files
Read full description

The markdown reader you've been missing. Markflow opens .md files from Files, Mail, Safari downloads, or the share sheet and renders them properly. GitHub-flavored markdown, syntax-highlighted code, mermaid diagrams, tables, task lists, and more. Originals are never touched. Edits live in memory until you explicitly Save, Save as New File, or Share a copy. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Open any .md, .markdown, or .mdown file from any app • Read with a clean, native preview • Edit with a markdown toolbar above the keyboard. Bold, italic, headings, lists, links, images, code, quotes, all one tap away. • Pinch to zoom in both Preview and Edit • Export an edited copy via the system share sheet • Tap Create to start a new blank file, or "Welcome to Markflow" for a full feature tour WHAT IT RENDERS • Headings, lists, blockquotes, links, images • Syntax-highlighted code blocks • Mermaid flowcharts and diagrams • GitHub-flavored markdown tables • Task lists with checkboxes • Inline images (absolute URLs) PRIVACY Markflow makes zero network requests and collects zero data. No accounts. No login. No analytics. No tracking. No ads. The renderer is a sandboxed local file with a Content Security Policy that blocks all remote resources. Your files stay on your device. DESIGN Built native with SwiftUI and the Liquid Glass nav bar. Light and dark mode. Adaptive home screen. Stock Apple Human Interface Guidelines throughout. WHO IT'S FOR • Writers who keep notes in markdown • Developers reading READMEs and docs on the go • Anyone who's been emailed a .md and had nowhere to open it • People who want a markdown reader that does one thing well Open source. MIT licensed. github.com/madebysan/markflow

Screenshots

SoloMD4 screens
Markflow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Markflow at 5.0 against SoloMD's 1.0. SoloMD's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Markflow holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SoloMD ships an update weekly, Markflow fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
SoloMD versus Markflow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoloMDMarkflow
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer向东 李Santiago Alonso Alexandre

Customer experience

SoloMD

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Markflow

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SoloMD

No in-app purchases

None

Markflow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SoloMD free?
SoloMD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Markflow free?
Markflow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SoloMD or Markflow?
Markflow is rated higher. SoloMD averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Markflow averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do SoloMD or Markflow have ads?
Neither SoloMD nor Markflow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SoloMD or Markflow?
SoloMD ships an update weekly, and Markflow fortnightly. Most recently, SoloMD was updated on October 5, 2026 and Markflow on September 30, 2026.

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