Comparison

GrayCat Markdown vs Marklens

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

Head to head
About

GrayCat Markdown

Features
Read full description

GrayCat Markdown is now available on iPhone and iPad. Bring the Markdown files you saved from the Mac app into iCloud, then open, edit, preview, and prepare them for publishing on the go. Core features • Open iCloud documents: shares the same iCloud.com.graycat.stickymd Documents container with the Mac app. • Choose a writing folder: authorize your own iCloud Drive folder in Files, such as a personal writing folder. • Mobile Markdown toolbar: headings, bold, italic, quotes, lists, links, and images are easy to insert. • Preview four output forms directly: Standard, Zhihu, Toutiao, and WeChat Official Account styles live inside Preview. • Keep image assets beside the document: inserted photos or image files are saved into the matching .assets folder and referenced with relative Markdown paths. • Search titles, paths, and document body text. • Publish readiness checks: review word count, headings, images, links, and code fences before copying. • Recent documents for quick return. Sync model GrayCat Markdown uses iCloud Documents and local Markdown files. It does not use a third-party cloud service or upload your content to the developer. After saving from the Mac app to iCloud, refresh the iOS document list or reload the active document to read the latest content. For a custom folder, select and authorize that folder on iOS first. Privacy • No app account required • No analytics collection • No ads or tracking SDKs • Documents stay in the local or iCloud location you choose

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

GrayCat Markdown4 screens
Marklens3 screens

Verdict

The call

GrayCat Markdown and Marklens are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

GrayCat Markdown ships an update every 5 weeks, Marklens monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
GrayCat Markdown versus Marklens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrayCat MarkdownMarklens
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer泳涛 茅Donald Jackson

In-app purchases

None

GrayCat Markdown

No in-app purchases

None

Marklens

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GrayCat Markdown free?
GrayCat Markdown is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Marklens free?
Marklens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do GrayCat Markdown or Marklens have ads?
Neither GrayCat Markdown nor Marklens shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GrayCat Markdown or Marklens?
GrayCat Markdown ships an update every 5 weeks, and Marklens monthly. Most recently, GrayCat Markdown was updated on October 24, 2026 and Marklens on October 24, 2026.

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