# iA Writer vs Markdown゜

The clearest difference is price: Markdown゜ at Free against iA Writer's $19.99. iA Writer's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 31%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Markdown゜ is free to download; iA Writer costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for iA Writer against 4.6 for Markdown゜. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 504 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of iA Writer's written reviews are positive against 31% of Markdown゜'s.

iA Writer ships an update every 2 weeks, Markdown゜ every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iA Writer | Markdown゜ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer-get-focused/id775737172/reviews)** | [4.6 (504 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown/id1494902837/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 504 |
| Positive reviews | **73.1% of reviews** | 30.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#43** | — |
| Size | 70 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Information Architects AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/775737175) | [Teleprompter LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/823066256) |

## What reviewers say

### iA Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer-get-focused/id775737172)

**Currently charting:** #43 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

A distraction-free writing environment designed to help you focus on your words. It offers features like Focus Mode, plain text writing with HTML preview, and robust organization tools. Customize your writing experience and export to various formats.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free writing environment, Focus Mode for enhanced concentration, Plain text writing with HTML preview, Document organization and search, Customizable keyboard layout, Export to various formats (Word, PDF, HTML, WordPress, Medium)

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Distraction-free writing experience
- 👍 Elegant and minimalist design
- 💡 Helpful syntax highlighting and formatting tools
- 🚀 Seamless sync across devices
- 👍 Reliable and stable performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 🔒 Limited cloud storage integration options
- 👎 Lack of advanced organization and navigation features
- 👎 Subpar text selection and cursor control
- 👎 Dated app icon and visual design

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain files
- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Formatting problems when exporting to other formats

**Requested features**

- Improved cloud storage integration (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
- Enhanced file management and organization tools
- Better text selection and cursor control
- More customization options for appearance and layout
- Integrated outline/table of contents view


### Markdown゜

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markdown/id1494902837)

Create and edit Markdown files with a simple yet powerful editor for iOS. Generate PDFs and HTML from your documents, with features like syntax highlighting, line numbers, and autosave. Seamlessly sync with cloud storage and export your work to other apps.

**Highlights:** Create and edit .md files, Export to PDF and HTML, File synchronization (cloud storage), Syntax highlighting and line numbers, Autosave and instant preview, Dark mode and custom fonts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Simple and intuitive interface
- 📄 Good markdown preview functionality
- 🎨 Clean design and lightweight app
- 📤 Easy PDF and HTML export
- ☁️ Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, NextCloud)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Cursor jumps to end of document when typing
- 💾 Files fail to save or save unreliably
- ⚠️ Data loss and content disappearing
- 🔄 Reverts to older file versions unexpectedly
- 📱 Mobile network interference with local file editing

**Reported bugs**

- Cursor automatically jumps to end of document after typing any character
- Text content vanishes without explanation
- Files fail to save as .md format
- App gets stuck in error message loop
- Cannot create new files (plus button not working)

**Requested features**

- Word count and character count
- Internal markdown reference
- Table support for markdown
- Code block syntax highlighting
- Auto-save functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iA Writer free?

iA Writer costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Markdown゜ free?

Markdown゜ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iA Writer or Markdown゜?

iA Writer is rated higher. iA Writer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Markdown゜ averages 4.6 from 504 ratings.

### Do iA Writer or Markdown゜ have ads?

Neither iA Writer nor Markdown゜ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iA Writer or Markdown゜?

iA Writer ships an update every 2 weeks, and Markdown゜ every 6 weeks. Most recently, iA Writer was updated on November 1, 2026 and Markdown゜ on October 29, 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.*