MarkDown Reader vs Markdown Viewer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MarkDown Reader
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MarkDown Reader is a free, lightweight viewer for Markdown files. Double-click any .md file and read it beautifully rendered — no editor chrome, no distractions, just your document. It also turns a checklist into somewhere to work. Tick a task and the change is written straight back to the file, one character, instantly. Add a note to any item and it is saved as an ordinary indented bullet, so every other Markdown tool still reads it. On the Mac, drag a file onto an item to attach it, and click the chip to open it again later. Nothing is locked in a database. Everything this app writes is plain Markdown you can read in any editor. - Clean rendering of headings, tables, code blocks, and images - Interactive task lists: click a checkbox and the .md file updates instantly - Notes on any checklist item, saved as plain Markdown - Attach files to checklist items by dragging them in (macOS) - Clickable file references: a path in a code span opens in your editor (macOS) - Table of contents sidebar for long documents - Full-text search with match navigation - Live reload — edit the file elsewhere and the view keeps up - Zoom, print, and export to PDF - Copy the document's path or reveal it in the Finder (macOS) - Opens .md, .markdown, .mdown, .mkd, and .mkdn files - Sandboxed and private: no accounts, no analytics, no data collection
Markdown Viewer
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You spot a line worth fixing, but explaining which file and which section to an AI takes longer than the fix itself. Markdown Viewer removes that step. Select the text and tap copy. Then paste it into your AI chat. Three steps 1. Open a Markdown file from Files or iCloud Drive 2. Long-press to select the text you want to change 3. Tap copy in the lower right, then paste into an AI chat It copies more than the text Your selection arrives with its file name and heading trail attached. Here is what actually lands on your clipboard. File name: docs/current/plan.md Headings: Chapter 3 > Setup steps Selected text: """ An administrator handles the initial setup, and members join from an invite link. """ The AI sees which file, which section, and which sentence in a single paste. No more writing out where the text came from. Set the path yourself Tap the file name to enter any relative path. Something like docs/current/plan.md helps an AI pin down the target. Features • Markdown rendering with headings, tables, code blocks, and checklists • Text selection with context-rich copy • Open from Files, iCloud Drive, pasted text, or a sample document • Copy a code block on its own • Custom relative paths • Light and dark themes • Japanese and English, following your device language • VoiceOver and Dynamic Type support Good for • Reading back specs and notes written with an AI while you are out • Sending a fix to your AI the moment you notice it • Lining up edits before you get back to your desk • Reading Markdown from iCloud Drive in a clean layout Not included • Editing, saving, or exporting Markdown • Writing back to the original file • Automatic sending to an AI (it copies to your clipboard) • Accounts, sync, or direct cloud service connections Focused on reading and handing text to an AI. Light and simple. Not saved Your document, selections, copied text, and recent files are never stored. Everything runs on your device. No ads, no analytics. Requirements iPhone running iOS 17 or later. Supports .md and .markdown files in UTF-8, up to 1 MB.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Markdown Viewer at every 5 days against MarkDown Reader's every 5 weeks. MarkDown Reader's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MarkDown Reader ships an update every 5 weeks, Markdown Viewer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MarkDown Reader | Markdown Viewer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Edward Juden | Yusuke Yamamoto |
In-app purchases
MarkDown Reader
No in-app purchases
Markdown Viewer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MarkDown Reader free?
Is Markdown Viewer free?
Do MarkDown Reader or Markdown Viewer have ads?
Which is updated more often, MarkDown Reader or Markdown Viewer?
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