Kihya Memo vs OpenRead
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Kihya Memo
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Kihya Memo is a lightweight, offline-first Markdown notepad. Write the source directly, use focused formatting tools, and switch to a beautiful native preview while every note remains a file you can keep. Markdown is the heart of the app. When needed, the same plain-text editor also opens safe UTF-8 text and source documents without converting them to a proprietary database. There is no Kihya account to create and no required Kihya memo server. Google Drive sync and remote server folders are optional. KEY FEATURES β’ Switch instantly between Markdown source and native preview β’ Toggle task checkboxes directly in preview β’ Use focused Markdown tools for headings, lists, bold, italic, strike, code, links, attachments, and underline β’ Convert pasted rich text into clean Markdown β’ Create, edit, rename, move, and share HTML, JSON, XML, CSV, PHP, ASP, JavaScript, SQL, and other UTF-8 text or source files when needed β’ Live syntax colors and line numbers without adding formatting to the file β’ Static HTML/SVG, pretty JSON/XML, table, calendar, contact, and color-source previews β’ Plain-text copy and paste for code; rich-text conversion only inside Markdown β’ Import photos, PDFs, archives, and other files from Photos or Files β’ Drag, rename, move, and safely remove nested folders in a dedicated manager β’ Search file names and full note contents β’ Find, Replace, and Replace All from the title menu, with case options, regex, and capture groups β’ Choose Save, Discard Changes, or Keep Editing when leaving an unsaved note β’ Move, rename, trash, or open past versions from the title menu β’ Open Recently Deleted from the folder list to restore items to their original location or delete them permanently β’ Optionally protect Recently Deleted with Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode β’ Keep pre-save versions locally and load one into the editor without saving it immediately β’ Recover the latest local edit draft after an unexpected app termination β’ Optional marker-texture highlighting for bold and underlined preview text β’ Preview local images and open clearly marked local-file links β’ Open and share editable text, source documents, and stored files through the system Files app β’ Optionally sync original files through a visible app folder in your own Google Drive β’ Add SFTP, plain FTP, explicit FTPS, or implicit FTPS servers as remote folders, with local recovery drafts, history, conflict detection, and verified saves β’ Export the visible folder tree as a ZIP without trash or private history β’ Start writing instantly from a resizable Quick Note Home Screen widget β’ See a sourced daily thought matched to morning, afternoon, evening, or night β’ Continue writing beneath a thought and share it as a 4:5 image card β’ Open a favorite document in full-screen reading mode from the Home Screen β’ Five bundled Korean typefaces in addition to the system font β’ Native phone navigation and an iPad three-pane or full-screen editor PRIVACY BY DESIGN β’ No Kihya sign-up or required login β’ No ads or cross-app tracking β’ Google Drive connects only when you choose it; notes are never sent to a Kihya server β’ Remote connections go directly from your device to the server you enter; credentials use device-only protected storage and remote contents, hosts, paths, and user names are excluded from analytics β’ SFTP and FTPS are encrypted. Plain FTP is visibly marked and requires a separate warning because its credentials, file names, and contents are not encrypted β’ Firebase usage events never include note text, file names, searches, or Google account details β’ Access is limited to local files and files the user explicitly selects β’ Normal history and recovery drafts stay on device; pre-overwrite sync text is also protected in hidden app data in your Drive
OpenRead
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Find your documents and focus on reading. OpenRead brings PDFs, documents, presentations, and spreadsheets into one on-device library. CONNECT A FOLDER ONCE Choose a folder in the Files picker. OpenRead finds supported documents in that folder and its subfolders. Add or disconnect folders whenever you need to. On iOS, access is limited to locations you select and allow. FIND THE RIGHT FILE Filter by file type, search file names, and sort by recent files or name. Open a document directly from the list. READ IN A VIEW THAT FITS Zoom and navigate PDF pages. Read HWP, HWPX, DOC, and DOCX content in a mobile reading layout. Move through PPTX slides and explore XLS, XLSX, and CSV sheets. Saved reading positions help you pick up where you left off. MAKE TEXT COMFORTABLE Adjust body text in the text reader. A separate slider in the More menu changes interface text size in the library, menu, and information pages. KEEP DOCUMENTS ON YOUR DEVICE No account or sign-in is required. OpenRead does not upload your documents or use remote conversion. Downloaded documents can be read offline. Original copies, parsed data, and reading positions stay on your device. Cloud-only files must be downloaded first. SUPPORTED FORMATS PDF, HWP, HWPX, DOC, DOCX, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, CSV, TXT, Markdown, EPUB, ODT, and RTF. Legacy PPT files are unsupported; convert them to PPTX or PDF. Password-protected documents, complex formatting, macros, and embedded objects may have limited support. Rendering depends on document structure and device capabilities. Reading features have no ads, in-app purchases, subscriptions, or app-imposed document-count limit. Terms, privacy information, and help are available in the More menu. Support: david.hwang@kakao.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Kihya Memo at none against OpenRead's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Kihya Memo ships an update daily, OpenRead every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kihya Memo | OpenRead |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Daily β better | Every 2 days |
| Ads | No β better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kihya | KyoungChan Hwang |
In-app purchases
Kihya Memo
No in-app purchases
OpenRead
No in-app purchases









