iA Writer vs Markdown Monster

iA Writer

• Writers who want a bare Markdown editor with no toolbars
• People who want to see which text they typed and which they pasted from AI
• Buyers who prefer a one-time payment to a subscription

Markdown Monster

• Windows users who write documentation or blog posts in Markdown
• Developers who want Git status and commits inside the editor
• Bloggers publishing to WordPress, Medium or Jekyll from Markdown files
• Buyers who prefer a perpetual license to a subscription

iA Writer

• Each platform is a separate purchase: Mac, Windows, and iPhone and iPad are bought individually.
• The Android app was removed from sale in September 2024, and iA says it is not planning a web-based version.
• A one-time payment covers the current version; minor updates are free, but major updates may cost extra.
• The 7-day free trial is offered for Mac and Windows only.

Markdown Monster

• Windows only: the download page gives Windows 10 or later as the requirement, and no Mac, Linux, mobile or web version is listed.
• A standard license covers one major version. Upgrading to the next costs about half the full price unless the license was bought within a year of its release.
• The AI features need your own API key from an OpenAI-compatible provider; the license includes no AI usage.
• The free evaluation has every feature but shows occasional notices, and the vendor requires a paid license for continued use.

iA Writer

Focus Mode

Highlights the sentence or paragraph being written and fades the rest of the document, in an interface with no buttons or title bar.

Authorship

Tracks what was typed and what was pasted. Your own words stay black and white, AI text appears in color and other authors in subtle tones.

Style Check

Flags clichés, fillers and clutter and leaves the decision to cut them with the writer. The check runs on the device.

Plain text with Markdown

Documents are plain text formatted with Markdown. A Preview shows the styled result using a template, and links, pictures and tables can be embedded.

Export

Copies a document as HTML or exports it to PDF or Microsoft Word. The iPhone and iPad listing also names WordPress and Medium as export targets.

Markdown Monster

Editor with synced live preview

Syntax-colored Markdown editing beside a collapsible HTML preview that updates and scrolls as you type, with inline spell checking and word counts.

Image, table and code helpers

Paste images from the clipboard, capture and embed screenshots, edit tables in an interactive table editor and insert formatted code snippets.

Export and weblog publishing

Export to PDF or HTML, or publish to a WordPress, MetaWeblog, Jekyll or Medium blog, then edit and republish posts or download existing ones.

Git integration

Shows Git status on files and folders and has a commit dialog for reviewing and committing changes from inside the editor.

AI features with your own key

Chat, image generation, text suggestions, summaries, grammar checking and translation run on your own API key for OpenAI-compatible providers such as OpenAI, Azure, Gemini or Ollama.

.NET addins and command line

A .NET addin model lets extensions hook into the interface, editor, rendering and publishing, and a command line converts Markdown to HTML and PDF.

iA Writer

• iPhone & iPad$19.99

  one-time payment, App Store only

  The iPhone and iPad app, sold only through the App Store. Requires iOS 15 or later.

• Windows$29.99

  one-time payment

  Bought directly from iA and usable on more than one Windows PC. Requires Windows 10 or later.

• Mac$49.99

  one-time payment

  Bought directly from iA or on the Mac App Store. Requires macOS 10.15 or later.

Markdown Monster

• Single User$99

  one-time purchase, per user, for version 4

  A perpetual license for one person on any number of machines, with free minor updates and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

• 5 User License$399

  one-time purchase for 5 users

  The same perpetual version 4 license for five users.

• Lifetime License$399

  one-time purchase, per user

  A single-user license that includes every future major-version upgrade at no further cost.

• 10 User License$749

  one-time purchase for 10 users

  The same perpetual version 4 license for ten users.

• 25 User License$1,899

  one-time purchase for 25 users

  The same perpetual version 4 license for twenty-five users.

• Site License$5,999

  one-time purchase, per organization

  Any number of users within a single organization, with a 5-year free upgrade guarantee.

iA Writer

• Education

  20% educational discount on direct purchases

  iA offers a 20% educational discount on the Mac and Windows versions bought directly from it. App Store copies get education pricing on 20 or more licenses through Apple School Manager.

Markdown Monster

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime single-user license for $399

  The Lifetime License includes all future major-version upgrades for one user, against $99 for a license tied to version 4.

• Other savings

  Upgrade from an earlier version for $49

  Holders of a version 1, 2 or 3 single-user license can move to version 4 for $49. Version 3 licenses bought on or after December 1, 2024 upgrade free.

• Other savings

  Free licenses for Microsoft MVPs and employees

  Microsoft MVPs, ASP.NET Insiders, Microsoft employees and staff of companies that give free tools to the MVP program can apply for a free license.

• Other savings

  Location-adjusted discount on application

  People in countries where the list price is prohibitive can apply for a discounted license, adjusted for their location using the Big Mac Index.