Comparison

Vellum vs OpenHTML

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

Head to head
About

Vellum

Features
Read full description

Some HTML documents and statements just won't open in Mail or Safari on your iPhone—leaving you stuck, or reaching for a Windows PC. Vellum is the simple, fast viewer that opens them right where you are. Wherever the file arrived—Mail, a messenger, Files, or a browser—just tap "Open in Vellum" and it opens instantly, rendered cleanly and completely. Opens right from any app See a document in Mail or Files? Tap "Open in Vellum" and it's there at once. No setup, no sign-up. A built-in guide walks you through it the first time. Opens what others can't HTML files and statements that won't display elsewhere open perfectly here—nothing broken, nothing missing. Read it your way Search for any word inside a document, pinch to zoom in as close as you like, and export an HTML statement as a clean PDF to keep or share. Auto-saved and organized Files you open are saved automatically and grouped by month. Pin the ones you reach for, sort by date or name, and find anything again in seconds. Yours alone No account, no servers, no ads. Lock the app with Face ID, hide its contents when you switch apps, and let old files clean themselves up. Everything stays on your device. Open any document, right from your hand.

About

OpenHTML

View HTML, Markdown, ZIP web projects, and source files privately on your device. Inspect and export rendered pages offline, diagnose rendering issues, and view code files securely. Designed for developers, students, and anyone needing to inspect web content safely.

Highlights
  • View HTML, Markdown, and source files
  • Import ZIP archives and web projects
  • Offline rendering with network access blocked by default
  • Diagnose rendering and resource issues
  • Export pages to PDF or long images
  • Private by default, no accounts or analytics
Features
Read full description

OpenHTML is a private, on-device viewer for HTML, Markdown, ZIP web projects and source files on iPhone and iPad. Open files from Files, Mail, chat apps, AI tools or Safari. Preview pages offline, inspect what went wrong when a file does not render, and export finished pages when you need a clean copy. What you can do: - Open .html, .htm, .xhtml and Markdown files - Import ZIP archives and multi-file web projects - Render LaTeX math in Markdown offline, with no scripts - Preview local pages with network access off by default - Diagnose missing files, blocked resources and JavaScript issues - View JSON, XML and source files with a code-friendly reader - Export full pages to PDF or long images with OpenHTML Pro - Keep selected files in your OpenHTML folder in iCloud Drive and open them on your other devices with OpenHTML Pro Private by default: OpenHTML has no accounts, no analytics and no ads. Files are copied into the app's private storage and stay on your device unless you add them to your own OpenHTML folder in iCloud Drive. Remote resources stay blocked unless you choose to allow them for a trusted document. OpenHTML is designed for developers, students, researchers, writers and anyone who receives HTML reports, AI-generated pages, saved webpages or packaged web projects and wants to inspect them safely on iOS.

Screenshots

Vellum4 screens
OpenHTML4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: OpenHTML at Free against Vellum's $1.99. Vellum's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (daily vs every 5 days). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

OpenHTML is free to download; Vellum costs $1.99 up front. OpenHTML sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Vellum asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vellum ships an update daily, OpenHTML every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Vellum versus OpenHTML: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVellumOpenHTML
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHAEDUN KIM吉帅 仇

In-app purchases

None

Vellum

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

OpenHTML

One-time1
  • OpenHTML Pro$0.99

Questions

Is Vellum free?
Vellum costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is OpenHTML free?
OpenHTML is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Vellum or OpenHTML have ads?
Neither Vellum nor OpenHTML shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vellum or OpenHTML?
Vellum ships an update daily, and OpenHTML every 5 days. Most recently, Vellum was updated on October 13, 2026 and OpenHTML on October 1, 2026.

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