# Smolpad vs MDReader

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Smolpad 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. Smolpad 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.

Smolpad ships an update every 10 days, MDReader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smolpad | MDReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smolpad-markdown-notes/id6792438749/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 76 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | 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

### Smolpad

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

A minimalist Markdown editor that stores your notes as plain .md files, accessible across all your devices via iCloud. Offers beautiful writing tools and robust file management without bloat.

**Highlights:** Plain .md file storage, iCloud sync, Markdown syntax highlighting, Task list checkboxes, Folder organization and search, File version history, Menu bar app on Mac

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo 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 Smolpad free?

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

### Is MDReader free?

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

### Do Smolpad or MDReader have ads?

Neither Smolpad nor MDReader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smolpad or MDReader?

Smolpad ships an update every 10 days, and MDReader every 2 weeks. Most recently, Smolpad was updated on November 6, 2026 and MDReader on November 10, 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.*