# markdown notes vs MDReader

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: markdown notes at 18.0 against MDReader's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. markdown notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and MDReader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

markdown notes ships an update every 10 days, MDReader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | markdown notes | MDReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Size | 66 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BaconWorks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783126115) | [Daniil Nuzhdin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875047078) |

## What reviewers say

### markdown notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown-notes-smolpad/id6792438749)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smolpad Pro | $1.49 | per month |
| Smolpad Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Smolpad Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


### MDReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mdreader-markdown-editor/id6795090587)

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MDReader Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| MDReader Pro | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is markdown notes free?

markdown notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MDReader free?

MDReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do markdown notes or MDReader have ads?

Neither markdown notes nor MDReader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, markdown notes or MDReader?

markdown notes ships an update every 10 days, and MDReader every 2 weeks. Most recently, markdown notes was updated on September 24, 2026 and MDReader on September 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*