MarkText vs Formalize
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MarkText
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.
- 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
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MarkText is a minimalist, lightweight Markdown text editor with local-first storage and iCloud sync. It supports syntax highlighting and comes with multiple built‑in preview themes, ideal for notes, writing, memos, journals and quick notes. Export to PDF, PNG or HTML in one tap for easy sharing. ## Key Features - Markdown syntax highlighting. - Built‑in HTML previews with various styles. - Move cursor by sliding the toolbar above the keyboard; - Simple import & export, edit files in Files app in place. - One-tap conversion to long image, multi-images, PDF or HTML. - Easily share to Dropbox, Email, or open with other apps. - Full-text search, word count, regex find & replace; - Sync between iPhone, iPad and Mac via iCloud Drive. - Mermaid and Graphviz support for editing and previewing flowcharts & diagrams. - MathJax support to edit and preview mathematical formulas. ## Import & Export Multiple import and export methods available - Directly manage file list via the Files app. - Import / export files through iTunes. - Upload and download files over WiFi. - Share MD, HTML, PNG, PDF files to other apps. ## Keyboard Toolbar - Tap buttons to quickly insert Tabs, headings, lists, code blocks, images, hyperlinks and more. - Customize toolbar buttons and reorder them. - Swipe toolbar left/right to move cursor fast. - Pinch toolbar with two fingers for quick text selection. - Custom quick input phrases and templates supported. ## Syntax Highlighting & HTML Preview - Built-in preview themes for light and dark modes. - Customizable preview style for code blocks. - Supports multiple Markdown flavors: Standard Markdown, MultiMarkdown, GitHub Flavored Markdown. ### GMF (GitHub Flavored Markdown) Syntax Supports extended syntax: strikethrough, tables, task lists, code blocks. #### Task Lists Lists starting with [ ] or [x] indicate incomplete or completed tasks. Example: - [ ] Incomplete - [x] Completed ## iCloud Drive Sync - Automatically sync and store all note files across your devices via iCloud Drive. - View synced note files inside the iCloud Drive folder on Mac. ## Supported File Extensions md, mmd, markdown, markdn, mdown, mkdn, markd, txt, text, etc. ## Other Features - Swipe left on note item to delete; long press to rename. - Add "#Hashtag" or "@Mention" inside notes to create tag categories, equivalent to folders. - Deleted notes go to Trash and stay there until permanently removed. ## scheme - Open App: marktext://x-url-callback/ - Open note: marktext://x-url-callback/open?name=xx - New note: marktext://x-url-callback/new?content=xx - New note from pasteboard: marktext://x-url-callback/new?pasteboard=1 If you have questions or suggestions, contact: xappbox+mt@gmail.com
Formalize
Type mathematical equations and symbols directly on your iPhone or iPad. This keyboard extension offers intuitive one-handed access to over 100 symbols, producing professionally typeset formulas. Easily export your creations as PNG or TeX to use in any app.
- Mathematical keyboard extension
- Over 100 symbols
- One-handed operation
- Professionally typeset formulas
- PNG export
- TeX export
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Do you wish you could properly type math on your iPhone or iPad? With Formalize, you can! Formalize is a keyboard extension for mathematical content. It provides intuitive one-handed access to more than 100 symbols and produces professionally typeset formulas. Easily convert your formulas to PNG or TeX and insert them anywhere, in any app!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: MarkText at 54% against Formalize's 25%. MarkText also leads on rating (3.0 vs 2.6) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 9 months). Formalize's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $3.99) and ratings volume (10 vs 3). 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
MarkText costs $3.99 and Formalize $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MarkText holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of MarkText's written reviews are positive against 25% of Formalize's.
MarkText ships an update every 4 months, Formalize every 9 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | MarkText | Formalize |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (3 ratings) — better | 2.6 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 10 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 刘生 林 | Ben Hambrecht |
Customer experience
MarkText
Formalize
In-app purchases
MarkText
No in-app purchases
Formalize
No in-app purchases









