MarkView vs FocusDown
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MarkView
A lightweight and private Markdown reader for Apple devices. It focuses on a clean reading experience, fast loading, and robust privacy by processing all documents locally. Enjoy features like dark/light modes, table of contents, and full-text search.
- Lightweight and fast loading
- Local processing for privacy
- Dark and light modes
- Table of contents and search
- Supports Mermaid charts and math formulas
- Read-only design
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MarkView is a lightweight, clutter-free Markdown viewer, built for fast, private, local document reading. Open Markdown notes, READMEs, exported files and long .md documents effortlessly on iPhone and iPad. It strips away cumbersome project-management logic — simply open, read, and revisit your files anytime. Import and open files directly from the Files app or the system Share Sheet. No account sign-up, no cloud uploads — all your files stay local and private on your device. Core Features • Lightweight & Minimal Fast file loading and a clean, distraction-free reading interface, with no redundant toolbars or complicated setup. • Private Local Reading Every file renders locally on your device. No sign-ins, no cloud uploads — your document privacy is fully protected. • Optimized Reading Experience Elegant typography, adaptive light/dark modes, a table of contents, in-file search and progress tracking deliver comfortable reading even for long documents. • Full Format & System Support Supports all mainstream Markdown formats, native Files and Share Sheet access, plus quick revisit through recent documents. • Rich Rendering & Safe Read-Only Faithfully renders tables, code blocks, Mermaid diagrams, math formulas and more. Pure read-only mode never modifies your original files. If you're looking for a lightweight, elegant, privacy-focused Markdown viewer that respects your local files, MarkView is your ideal choice.
FocusDown
This app encourages users to put their phone down by using a face-down timer. It detects movement and tilting to remind you to stay focused until the session ends. Build better focus habits with dedicated sessions for studying, work, or reading.
- Face-down focus timer
- Custom session duration
- Movement and tilt reminders
- Focus history tracking
- Daily and weekly statistics
- Achievement badges
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FocusDown helps you put your phone down — literally. Start a focus session, place your iPhone face down on a flat surface, and stay away from distractions until the timer ends. Unlike a normal focus timer, FocusDown turns the simple act of flipping your phone over into a clear commitment. During a session, it helps detect movement, tilting, or picking up the phone and gives you a timely reminder so you can return to focus. Great for: * Studying * Deep work * Reading * Exam prep * Writing * Meetings * Phone-free breaks Main features: * Face-down focus timer * Custom session duration * Movement and tilt reminders * Focus history * Daily and weekly statistics * Achievement badges * Calm dark interface How it works: 1. Choose a focus duration. 2. Tap Start. 3. Place your iPhone face down on a flat surface. 4. Stay focused until the session ends. FocusDown does not block other apps. It helps you build a stronger focus habit by making your phone physically harder to pick up. Put your phone down. Stay with one thing. Build better focus, one session at a time. 1. This service is a subscription based paid service, which means you will prepay for future subscription usage. You can currently choose to use this service on a quarterly basis. At the end of each subscription period, your subscription will automatically renew by default, unless you cancel the automatic renewal yourself or we cancel the service. 2. Unsubscribe: To cancel the renewal, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance. You can unsubscribe by opening System Settings, clicking on Apple ID, clicking on Subscription, selecting Premium, and then unsubscribing. 3. Restore purchase: If you receive a prompt saying "You have already subscribed to this project" during the payment process and confirm that you have completed the purchase before, you can click "Restore Purchase" in the upper right corner to restore the purchase. Membership Service Agreement and Automatic Renewal Agreement: https://gcn1s2rmayw3.feishu.cn/wiki/YgqKwPdJmiH0ulkF92kco1CznCg?from=from_copylink Privacy Policy: txhttps://gcn1s2rmayw3.feishu.cn/wiki/SGBIwmUWCiPWoWktE5sclLRgnol?from=from_copylink
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: FocusDown at Free against MarkView's $0.99. FocusDown also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). MarkView's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On rating, review sentiment, ads and device support 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
FocusDown is free to download; MarkView costs $0.99 up front. FocusDown sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. MarkView asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MarkView against 5.0 for FocusDown. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
MarkView ships an update every 3 weeks, FocusDown every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MarkView | FocusDown |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 迪 黎 | 春城 贾 |
Customer experience
MarkView
FocusDown
In-app purchases
MarkView
No in-app purchases
FocusDown
- Monthly Member$3.991 Month
- Annual Member7 Days trial$12.991 Year
- Lifetime$29.99








