Comparison

Markflow vs Marklens

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

Head to head
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

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

Markflow4 screens
Marklens3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Marklens at 18.0 against Markflow's 26.0. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Markflow against 5.0 for Marklens. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Markflow ships an update fortnightly, Marklens monthly. The most recent releases landed on July 7, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Markflow versus Marklens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkflowMarklens
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSantiago Alonso AlexandreDonald Jackson

Customer experience

Markflow

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

Marklens

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Markflow

No in-app purchases

None

Marklens

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Markflow free?
Markflow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Marklens free?
Marklens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Markflow or Marklens?
Markflow and Marklens are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Markflow or Marklens have ads?
Neither Markflow nor Marklens shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Markflow or Marklens?
Markflow ships an update fortnightly, and Marklens monthly. Most recently, Markflow was updated on July 7, 2026 and Marklens on September 19, 2026.

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