# MarkText vs TextEdit

The clearest difference is price: TextEdit at Free against MarkText's $3.99. TextEdit also leads on rating (3.7 vs 3.0) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). MarkText's advantage is review sentiment (54% vs 17%) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

TextEdit is free to download; MarkText costs $3.99 up front. TextEdit sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. MarkText asks for nothing beyond the download.

TextEdit holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TextEdit has 378 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of MarkText's written reviews are positive against 17% of TextEdit's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

MarkText ships an update every 4 months, TextEdit weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarkText | TextEdit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marktext-markdown-editor/id948768793/reviews) | **[3.7 (378 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textedit-text-editor/id1070883678/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **378** |
| Positive reviews | **54.2% of reviews** | 17.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 14 MB | 573 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [刘生 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/948768792) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### MarkText

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marktext-markdown-editor/id948768793)

This app is a markdown editor and note-taking tool for iOS devices. It offers real-time syntax highlighting, conversion to various formats like HTML, PNG, and PDF, and seamless syncing across Apple devices via iCloud Drive.

**Highlights:** Real-time markdown syntax highlighting, Convert notes to HTML, PNG, PDF, Share to Evernote, Dropbox, Email, iCloud Drive sync across devices, FlowChart & Diagrams support, LaTeX and MathML rendering

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### TextEdit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textedit-text-editor/id1070883678)

A fast and versatile text editor for mobile devices, offering compatibility with various file formats and editors. It provides a distraction-free writing experience with advanced formatting, organization, and sharing features.

**Highlights:** Supports TXT, RTF, Markdown, TeX, and PDF formats, Cross-device and computer syncing via iCloud/Files, Distraction-free writing interface, Customizable keyboard extension for faster typing, Visual rich text formatting and one-tap options, Syntax highlighting for Markdown and TeX, Instant statistics and counters

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| TextEdit+ Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| TextEdit+ Annual | $14.99 | per year |
| TextEdit+ Full Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📝 Simple and clean text editor
- 🔗 Integrates well with iCloud
- 👍 Useful for basic document editing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires subscription for full functionality
- 🔒 Locks users out of previously purchased content
- 🚫 Prevents access to app without subscription
- 🤖 Forced AI integration that users don't want

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain file types
- Formatting issues when copying/pasting text
- Inconsistent behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- Allow users to choose iCloud directory
- Offer one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Restore previous paid versions without AI


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarkText free?

MarkText costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is TextEdit free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MarkText or TextEdit?

TextEdit is rated higher. MarkText averages 3.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while TextEdit averages 3.7 from 378 ratings.

### Do MarkText or TextEdit have ads?

Neither MarkText nor TextEdit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MarkText or TextEdit?

MarkText ships an update every 4 months, and TextEdit weekly. Most recently, MarkText was updated on October 8, 2026 and TextEdit on October 15, 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.*