1Writer vs Markcurial
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
1Writer
This app is a powerful text editor for creating, revising, and sharing ideas efficiently. It supports plain text and Markdown, with advanced features like an extended keyboard, photo insertion, and custom URL actions. Sync with cloud services and personalize your writing experience.
- Markdown syntax highlighting and preview
- Extended keyboard with custom buttons
- Photo insertion with Dropbox integration
- Sync with iCloud, Dropbox, and WebDAV
- Custom URL actions and JavaScript support
- In-app web browser for research
- Passcode and biometric app protection
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1Writer combines all the basic text editing features you would expect with all the advanced features you will ever need. Use 1Writer to write, research, revise, and share your ideas with maximum efficiency. - - - - - - - - - - "The only Dropbox- and Markdown-enabled text editor for iPhone that’s clicked with me has been 1Writer. It’s simple, looks great, and gets the job done." - TheSweetSetup.com "Really great app, really recommend it." - Federico Viticci, MacStories.net "The app interface is beautiful and distraction-free, with loads of other awesome features lurking beneath its simple exterior. It's now my go-to iPhone text editor." - Chris Gonzales, ToolsandToys.net "For users that want a great visual experience paired with great support for custom actions and third party apps, 1Writer is an excellent choice." - iMore.com "1Writer is the most powerful text editor available for iPhone." - Phillip Gruneich - - - - - - - - - - CREATE - Write :: generate and edit plain text or Markdown files. - Preview :: see the formatted results with Markdown syntax highlighting while you write and a full, rich-text preview when you're done. - Extended keyboard :: a convenient row of buttons for navigation, formatting, special characters (customizable--pick the characters you use the most). - Insert photo :: pick a photo or take a new one, and 1Writer will upload it to Dropbox and generate the Markdown-syntax to add it to your document--all in a single action! - Snippets :: TextExpander Touch support. - Custom URL actions :: insert a document template, encode a selection and replace the original text, look up synonyms and much more. - JavaScript :: create even more powerful custom actions using JavaScript—text manipulation, perform a find & replace, interact with the clipboard—the possibilities are endless. IMPORT - Sync with iCloud, Dropbox and WebDAV. - Share extension :: send text to 1Writer from other apps. In Safari, the extension uses the current URL, page title and selected text to create a new document. - Create, append, prepend, or replace text directly from other apps using the 1Writer URL scheme. EXPORT - CloudApp and Dropbox :: generate a link to share your document in plain text or PDF. - Evernote :: pick your notebook, add tags and turn a text selection or the entire document into a new, rich-text note. - Copy HTML :: put the formatted text for your document directly on the clipboard. - Custom actions :: open a web search, tweet a selection, save a series of items in a list and much more. PERSONALIZE - Support Dark Mode on iOS 13. - 2 dark themes for more comfortable reading and writing at night. - Choose from 20 different fonts. - Bookmark and sync the Dropbox/WebDAV folders you want to have quick access to the sub-folders and documents you need. - Use a passcode or Touch ID/Face ID to protect the app from unauthorized users. RESEARCH - In-app web browser :: research, look up information without having to leave the app. - Bookmarks :: create and access your favorite websites. - Save the current text selection to the clipboard in Markdown syntax. - 1Password support :: login to all your accounts using the 1Password extension. EVEN MORE GREAT FEATURES - Drag and drop. - Open in Place. - Multiple windows on iOS 13. - MultiMarkdown. - Search documents from Spotlight. - Find & replace within document. - Photo and PDF preview. - Today widget :: access your recent documents from the Notification Center or create a new document in one tap. - Checklist support :: create a list of things to do or topics to research, and easily check them off. - Full-text search and hashtag support :: search within a folder to find the document you need, and view related documents that have the same tag.
Markcurial
A lightweight markdown editor with syntax highlighting and live preview. Customize themes and manage files locally for secure document creation on the go. Easily share your work to other platforms.
- Markdown editor with syntax highlighting
- Live preview with working links and images
- Theme customization for background and syntax
- On-device file management for security
- Easy document sharing to other sources
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Key Features: Markdown Editor: Fully featured markdown editor with syntax highlighting and shortcuts to assist you with quickly sketching out ideas and getting documents put together quickly on the go. Documents can also be shared to other sources easily and effectively if you start a document on your device and want to edit or view it somewhere else. Live Previewing: View your markdown document instantly with live previewing with working links, images, and beautiful formatting. Theme Customization: Customize your editor with new background colors and syntax themes to make your experience perfectly tailored to you. File Management: Files are stored on device and you have control over them, so never worry about accidentally losing your documents again.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Markcurial at Free against 1Writer's $4.99. Markcurial also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). 1Writer's advantage is ratings volume (388 vs 11) and chart position (#48 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Markcurial is free to download; 1Writer costs $4.99 up front. 1Writer sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Markcurial sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Markcurial holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 1Writer has 388 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of 1Writer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Markcurial's.
1Writer ships an update every 2 months, Markcurial every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 1Writer | Markcurial |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (388 ratings) | 4.9 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 388 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #48 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ngoc Luu | Charles Fager |
Customer experience
1Writer
Markcurial
In-app purchases
1Writer
- Small Tip$0.99
- Nice Tip$2.99
- Generous Tip$4.99
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- Massive Tip$9.99
- Amazing Tip$19.99
Markcurial
- Markcurial+$0.99









