Comparison

MarkNote vs iWriter 2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MarkNote

Create and manage markdown notes with rich formatting, image embedding, and code snippets. Sync across Apple devices via iCloud and access notes from any web browser. Publish notes as blog posts or share them easily.

Highlights
  • Markdown editing with live preview
  • Embed photos, images, and code snippets
  • iCloud synchronization across devices
  • Web browser access for notes
  • Publish notes as blog posts
  • Graph view for note relations
Features
Read full description

Take notes with markdown. Sync notes into iCloud. Access your documents with any of your mac or iOS devices. Share your notes with your friend. You can easily embed photos, format text, create tables, send rich formatted mail message, and share and edit notes from any devices. FEATURES - Embed photos and images into note - Live preview while writing - Auto save - Send mail with rich format - Swipe to delete a note - Syntax highlighting - Embed code snippets and mathematics formulas - Click to update the task status in todo list - Review and edit your notes from any web browsers or smart devices - Sync your notes into iCloud drive, and share with all your devices. You can read and edit your notes with marknote app on iPhone/iPad or marknotes on mac - Publish your note as blog posts - Import web page shared from apps like mobile safari, save in markdown format, so that you can read it later or edit it later - graph view, visualize notes relations You have complete control to your data. SUPPORT If you have any feedback or questions, reach us by mail at marknote@aliyun.com

About

iWriter 2

A minimalist Markdown editor designed for distraction-free writing. It offers MultiMarkdown support with live preview, syntax highlighting, and seamless export to various formats. Organize and manage your documents with a built-in manager.

Highlights
  • Minimalist, distraction-free writing interface
  • Full MultiMarkdown support with live preview
  • Syntax highlighting and keyboard shortcuts
  • Automatic progress saving
  • Seamless export to HTML, PDF, EPUB, DOCX, LaTeX
  • Built-in document manager with search
  • Rebuilt with TextKit 2 for enhanced performance
Read full description

iWriter 2 is an elegant and minimalist Markdown text editor designed for distraction-free writing. # iWriter 2 is the next generation of the beloved iWriter text editor. "Simple & beautiful" App Store Review, 2019 "Terrific Writing and Notes App" App Store Review, 2015 "Great simple text editor" App Store Review, 2014 Immerse yourself in a minimalist writing environment designed to enhance focus and productivity. Say hello to structured, professional documents that effortlessly transform your ideas. ## MultiMarkdown Support iWriter 2 is a full-featured Markdown editor built for precision and flexibility. - MultiMarkdown support with live preview and syntax highlighting. - Wikilinks and Wiki-Embeds for connected notes. - Task lists and code blocks made simple. - Keyboard shortcuts for fast inline formatting. ## Built-in Document Manager A built-in document manager that lets you easily organize, browse, and manage all your files in one place — complete with powerful document search to quickly find exactly what you need. ## Rebuilt with TextKit 2 iWriter 2 has been completely rebuilt from the ground up using Apple’s modern TextKit 2 framework, delivering faster performance, smoother scrolling, and a more responsive writing experience. ## Multiple Export Options A refined, user-friendly interface designed for focus and productivity, offering intuitive formatting options and seamless export to multiple formats including HTML, PDF, EPUB, DOCX (Microsoft Word), and LaTeX. ## LaTeX and Mermaid Diagrams iWriter 2 offers LaTeX syntax highlighting, making complex math expressions easy to read and edit as you write. It also supports Mermaid diagrams, letting you create flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and more using simple text-based syntax. Both integrate seamlessly into your Markdown workflow, keeping technical writing and visual documentation in one place. --- Terms of Use: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://serpensoft.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

MarkNote4 screens
iWriter 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MarkNote at 86% against iWriter 2's 40%. MarkNote also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and price ($1.99 vs $7.99). iWriter 2's advantage is chart position (#194 vs unranked). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

MarkNote costs $1.99 and iWriter 2 $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MarkNote holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of MarkNote's written reviews are positive against 40% of iWriter 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
MarkNote versus iWriter 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkNoteiWriter 2
Price$1.99 — better$7.99
Rating4.8 (5 ratings) — better4.2 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings511 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#194 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer淑敏 孙Serpensoft Group

Customer experience

MarkNote

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

iWriter 2

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

In-app purchases

None

MarkNote

No in-app purchases

None

iWriter 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MarkNote free?
MarkNote costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is iWriter 2 free?
iWriter 2 costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MarkNote or iWriter 2?
MarkNote is rated higher. MarkNote averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while iWriter 2 averages 4.2 from 11 ratings.
Do MarkNote or iWriter 2 have ads?
Neither MarkNote nor iWriter 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MarkNote or iWriter 2?
MarkNote ships an update every 3 weeks, and iWriter 2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, MarkNote was updated on September 18, 2026 and iWriter 2 on September 17, 2026.

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