Comparison

Markdown My Words vs Modrift

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

Head to head
About

Markdown My Words

Features
Read full description

Markdown is everywhere now. It is in coding-agent plans, AI-generated research notes, README files, study guides, project specs, lecture material, technical drafts, and the surprisingly long β€œquick summary” an AI tool gave you at 1:13 a.m. Markdown My Words gives those documents a calmer place to live than a chat window. Open a folder of Markdown files, read them in a clean rendered view, highlight the passages that matter, and leave yourself precise notes. When you are done, export your comments as Markdown, TSV, CSV, or an annotated copy of the document. Your original file stays clean. Your thoughts stay attached. WHAT YOU CAN DO β€’ Read Markdown in a quiet, comfortable layout β€’ Navigate long documents with an automatic outline β€’ Highlight passages in seven colours β€’ Add notes to any highlight β€’ Search and filter your annotations β€’ Export feedback as Markdown, TSV, CSV, or annotated Markdown β€’ Toggle source view when you want the raw text β€’ Keep annotations beside your files as lightweight sidecar data WHY IT FEELS DIFFERENT Markdown My Words is built for focused reading, not fiddling. It works with ordinary .md files in folders you choose. Your annotations are stored separately, so the source document stays untouched and portable. That makes it useful for reviewing AI-generated plans, coding-agent proposals, study notes, research reports, technical docs, and long drafts you actually need to think through. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No server. No tracking. No analytics. No document upload. Just your files, your notes, and a quieter way to think. Markdown My Words is for the moment after something generates a serious document for you β€” when you need to stop skimming, sit with it, question it, mark it up, and decide what you actually think.

About

Modrift

Features
Read full description

Modrift is a lightweight client for quickly opening, reading, and lightly editing files stored in the cloud β€” right from your iPhone. Not a heavy notes app: just open, read, and tweak, as fast as possible. Key features - Open Markdown files (.md / .txt / .markdown) with clean formatted rendering - Launch straight from Files or any app via "Open in Modrift" - Keep your own working home (iCloud β€Ί Modrift): list, create and organise files there - Switch between Home (by place) and Recent (by time) - Toggle between edit and preview with one tap - A formatting toolbar above the keyboard in edit mode β€” headings, lists, checkboxes, bold and more, one tap each - Automatic saving (no manual save button) - Full-text search, and sorting by date modified or name - Turn to landscape for longer lines β€” easier on long paragraphs and tables - Japanese / English interface Beyond Markdown - View images (PNG / JPEG / GIF / HEIC / WebP) with pinch to zoom β€” free - View PDFs with paging and zoom β€” Modrift Pro (one-time purchase) - View Word documents (.docx) formatted, with headings, lists and tables β€” Modrift Pro - View Excel workbooks (.xlsx) as tables, with sheet switching β€” Modrift Pro Markdown, text and images stay free. Only PDF, Word and Excel viewing is part of Modrift Pro β€” a single one-time purchase, no subscription. These formats are view-only; they cannot be edited. About your home and editing - Files in your home (iCloud β€Ί Modrift) are editable in place, and edits sync to iCloud - Files outside your home (Dropbox / Google Drive, or iCloud Drive outside the Modrift folder) are view-only. To edit one, use "Copy to Home" and edit the copy (the original is not written back) - You can choose whether your home lives in iCloud or on this iPhone, in Settings Relationship to the Files app Modrift complements the Files app rather than replacing it. Leave general folder management to Files; Modrift focuses on formatted Markdown viewing, light editing, and tidying its own home folder. The name combines Mo (Mobile / Motion) + drift β€” the idea of thoughts and files flowing freely on mobile.

Screenshots

Markdown My Words4 screens
Modrift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Modrift at every 4 days against Markdown My Words's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Markdown My Words ships an update monthly, Modrift every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and August 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Markdown My Words versus Modrift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkdown My WordsModrift
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size7 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYARON AMIR BENJAMIN DR. GOLDSTEINNoriyuki Katahara

In-app purchases

None

Markdown My Words

No in-app purchases

None

Modrift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Markdown My Words free?
Markdown My Words is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Modrift free?
Modrift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Markdown My Words or Modrift have ads?
Neither Markdown My Words nor Modrift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Markdown My Words or Modrift?
Markdown My Words ships an update monthly, and Modrift every 4 days. Most recently, Markdown My Words was updated on September 14, 2026 and Modrift on August 23, 2026.

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