ADVERTISEMENT- Because Markdown is just plain text, you can create it with any text editor. That’s part of its appeal. But using an editor designed for writing in Markdown has a lot of advantages, depending on your needs. Here are some features you might expect to find in a Markdown editor:. Syntax highlighting and a preview pane to show you how your final document will look. Familiar keyboard shortcuts, like command-B for bold. Export and conversion features that easily transform your document from Markdown to HTML, PDF, DOCX or a number of other formats.

• Best Markdown Editor For Mac
• Markdown Reader Mac

Some Markdown editors can publish directly to WordPress, Medium and more. A distraction-free mode that takes advantage of features like full-screen editing, dark mode and typewriter mode. Features that appeal to writers, including word count, readability scores, and versions. A document library to organize your content and sync between devices.

Some editors have an iOS version so you can keep working while you’re on the move. Advanced formatting, including tables and mathematical expressions. There’s a rich landscape of Mac options, and the best choice for me may not be the best choice for you. Not all Markdown editors will support all of those features, so the trick is to find the editor with the features you need. So let’s have a good look at the options, then we’ll make some recommendations.

Looking for more on Markdown? Check out these great links:. Check out for more books, courses and free screencasts. Use Your Favorite Text Editor If you already have a favorite Mac text editor, you might prefer to use that for writing Markdown as well. Of course, Markdown is really just text, so any text editor will do.

But many text editors have additional support for Markdown, either natively or through an extension or plugin. These may give syntax highlighting, a preview pane and other features. Here are some examples:.

11 has a that includes helper commands, transformation commands, paste as Markdown and MultiMarkdown support. can be turned into a full-featured Markdown editor. has a that includes features like convert, preview, cheat sheet and “generate output and open in browser”.

provides Markdown syntax highlighting and preview out of the box. supports Markdown out of the box, with features like syntax highlighting and preview. This functionality can be expanded by several community-generated packages, including,.

has a with syntax highlighting and a preview pane. includes Markdown syntax highlighting and preview out of the box. has a plugin that features syntax highlighting and folding. has a package that includes shortcut keys and syntax highlighting.

Best Markdown Editor For Mac

Ulysses. Cost: Starts at US$4.99 per month or $39.99 per year, or subscribe via.

Demo: Yes. Other platforms: iOS The ultimate writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone. Is a full-featured Markdown app designed for writers. It’s designed to keep you focused on the writing task at hand, organize all your projects in one place, provide comprehensive writing features in a simple interface, and export your documents beautifully in a number of formats. Distraction-free features include typewriter mode, dark themes, and full-screen editing.

All of your documents can be accessed in a single library, whether they’re contained in Ulysses’ database or in files elsewhere. Filters can be used to create smart folders that update according to the flexible criteria you specify. Writers will appreciate features like word and character count, writing goals that indicate when you reach the desired word count, notes and attachments for your reference information, and keywords. You can export your documents to a variety of text and rich text formats, HTML, ePub, PDF and DOCX.

Markdown Reader Mac

Or you can publish directly to WordPress or Medium. My take: I purchased Ulysses on the day it was released, and I’ve been using it ever since. It has become my writing tool of choice. It’s not cheap, but it’s been worth every penny. If you do a lot of writing, professionally or otherwise, take a good look at this app. Quiver.

Cost: $9.99. Demo: Yes. Other platforms: iOS (coming) The programmer’s notebook is designed for developers, and can combine text, code, Markdown and LaTeX in a single note. It’s more than just a document editor: it’s a complete reference library for your documentation. The editor gives you syntax highlighting and a live preview of your rendered Markdown, and offers cloud syncing, team collaboration, version control and backup. Programmers will appreciate code editing and the ability to write scripts to integrate Quiver with your other tools. The document library can organize your notes by tag or notebook (including shared notebooks), and has instant, full-text search.

Images are saved locally with notes, and displayed inline. My take: Quiver is the ultimate Markdown (and code and LaTeX) editor for devs. Its document library can be synced to your other computers and devices via Dropbox. It’s a geekier alternative to Ulysses, designed with a completely different audience in mind, at an affordable price point. LightPaper. Cost: $16.49.

Demo: 14-day free trial. Other platforms: No Simple, beautiful yet powerful text editor for your Mac is designed for creating documents, articles and blog posts.

It’s suitable for writers and bloggers, developers, scholars and students. This tab-based app features both syntax highlighting and a preview pane. A document pane on the left lists your favorites, folders, scratch notes and shadow notes.

The shadow note feature is very handy: the app will associate a note with a specific app, file, folder or URL, which is entered in a popup window over the other app. Other features include quick open, math and table support, custom styles, and distraction-free mode. My take: This is a Ulysses alternative without quite the same range of features.

It does some things that Ulysses can’t, including tables and math. While not as expensive, it’s certainly not cheap. If its range of features matches what you need in a Markdown editor, it’s worth considering. MWeb. Cost: $14.99. Demo: 14-day trial. Other platforms: iOS Pro Markdown writing, note taking and static blog generator app is a tab-based Markdown editor for writers and academics.

It has a document library, but can also edit external files from anywhere on your Mac. Its clean interface supports advanced syntax, including TOC, tables, code blocks, LaTeX and footnotes. The app features syntax highlighting, live preview, and drag and drop for adding images. It also includes some nice distraction-free features, including typewriter mode and a dark theme. Getting your text out of MWeb is easy. It can export to PDF, HTML, RTF, DOCX and image, or publish directly to WordPress, Metaweblog, Blogger, Medium, Tumblr and Evernote.

It can even generate a static blog. My take: With its advanced syntax and export/publishing options, MWeb is excellent for writing technical documentation. The app is attractive, and the document library well designed.

Texts. Cost: $19.

Demo: Yes. Other platforms: Windows Rich editor for plain text. Separate content from formatting. Store in Markdown.

Is a Markdown-based word processor designed for academics. It focuses on producing well-structured content that can contain formulas, footnotes, bibliography and citations, tables and links. You can create export templates to carefully hone the professionally typeset PDFs the app can produce. Other features include a visual editor so you don’t have to remember Markdown, blogging on GitHub Pages, and custom themes.

Documents can be published as PDF, HTML, DOCX, EPUB and other formats. My take: If you’re an academic or technical writer, this app is designed for you. Its minimalistic interface is attractive, yet hides a lot of power under the surface.

The documents it produces look professional, and are beautifully typeset. Byword. Cost: $11.99. Demo: No. Other platforms: iOS Markdown app for writing in plain text efficiently.

Is a minimalistic app for efficient Markdown writing, striking a good balance between simplicity and functionality. There are just enough features to do the job without becoming a distraction.

The app has subtle syntax highlighting, and you can format with Markdown using keyboard shortcuts and auto-complete. There’s a word count with live update, and a quick preview option.

My take: Byword’s low cost, attractive looks and frictionless interface make it a popular choice. If you’re not in need of a lot of features, and simplicity aids your productivity, this might be the one for you. IA Writer.

Cost: $9.99. Demo: No. Other platforms: iOS, Android iA Writer. IA Writer is designed to provide the best writing experience on macOS, iOS and Android. Is a distraction-free Markdown editor that puts the focus on your content.

It’s like Byword, but with a few more features and a little less simplicity. The app uses a light gray background, monospaced font and blue cursor. In focus mode, surrounding lines of text fade to emphasize the line you’re typing. Images, tables and content blocks are all supported, all features that Byword lacks. Other features include preview, live sync, a document library, file export (HTML, PDF, DOCX) and custom templates.

My take: Another popular, inexpensive Markdown editor with an emphasis on being distraction free, IA Writer loses some of Byword’s simplicity in order to gain some additional features. Typora. Cost: Free (during beta). Demo: n/a. Other platforms: Windows, Linux A truly minimal Markdown editor is possibly the most minimalistic editor we’re covering. It even removes the Markdown syntax as you type, replacing it with a preview of the formatting. What you see is what you get.

It looks cleaner, removes the need for a preview pane, and makes reading easier. Despite its simplicity, Typora supports images, lists, tables, code fences, math blocks, table of contents and more. Shortcuts do what you expect, and the themes are beautiful and fully configurable by CSS. Geeks will find a lot to love here. My take: Typora is the new kid on the block. It’s beautiful and full-featured. If you like the idea of not seeing Markdown syntax in your document, this app is your only option we review.

Caret. Cost: $25. Demo: Yes. Other platforms: Windows, Linux Beautiful & clever Markdown editor is beautiful and distraction-free, but hides lots of power under the hood. It would appeal to writers and devs alike.

The app makes entering complex Markdown simple. Syntax assistance is available for tables, lists, quotes, fences, links and emphasis, and there’s auto-completion for images, keywords and emoji. A file manager is available, and navigation through long documents is made simple with the popup “go to heading” feature. For the mathematically-minded, LaTeX expressions are supported, and they’re rendered on-screen as soon as the cursor leaves them. For distraction-free writing, dark mode, focus mode and typewriter mode are all supported. My take: I’ve only recently discovered Caret, and for a minimalistic editor it seems to have a lot of power under the hood. Writing, rather than exporting, is its strength.

SitePoint editor Bruno Skvorc is a heavy user of the app, and couldn’t be happier. Focused. Cost: $29.99. Demo: Yes. Other platforms: No Get Focused, start writing! Is an attractive, minimalistic writing app with an interface designed to keep you writing without distraction. The app offers an uncluttered interface with few features, a choice of attractive themes, typewriter mode and a choice of eight relaxing soundtracks.

Other features include word count, versions, export to HTML and RTF, and customizable typefaces and styles. My take: If you’re looking for a beautiful, minimalistic app to write in, and value a focused writing experience over a multitude of features, this is worth considering.

Bear. Cost: Free, Bear Pro subscription $1.49/month. Demo: n/a. Other platforms: iOS Bear is a beautiful, flexible writing app for crafting notes and prose is more than a note taking app: it’s a pleasing writing environment as well. The developers have focused on making the app beautiful to look at and smooth to use.

By default it uses non-standard markup, but a Markdown compatibility mode is available. The app includes a focus mode to keep you writing, and displays images inline. Features for writers include word count and reading times. The app can export your document to Markdown, PDF, HTML, DOCX, JPG or RTF. For developers, the app has code blocks that support and highlight over 20 programming languages. Other features include rich previews, cross-note links, checkboxes, and smart data recognition.

Tags are added by using hashtags within the document. Bear Pro subscribers have access to a range of themes and multi-device sync via iCloud. My take: I discovered Bear while it was still in beta, and started using it immediately. I’m now a Bear Pro subscriber.

I love the checkbox feature, the way images are displayed inline, and the way tags are added. These features make it an excellent note taker. I could use the app for writing, but Ulysses has become my tool of choice. Mou. Cost: Free (in beta), preorder Mou 1.0 for $15 (50% discount). Demo: n/a. Other platforms: No Markdown editor for developers.

Bylines itself as “the missing Markdown editor for web developers”. It’s light and responsive. Be aware that until Mou 1.0 ships, the app only works on versions of macOS up to 10.11; it doesn’t (at the time of writing) support Sierra or High Sierra. Features include live preview, sync scroll, auto save, incremental search and custom themes. CSS, HTML and PDF export are available. Articles can be directly published to Scriptogr.am or Tumblr with a single command.

My take: The app has always looked promising, and I used it for a while a number of years ago. Lack of support for Sierra is a problem, but watch out for Mou 1.0. MacDown.

Cost: free (open source). Demo: n/a. Other platforms: No The open source Markdown editor for macOS. Is heavily inspired by Mou, and was created when Mou development had stalled.

Like Mou, it’s designed with web developers in mind. Features include a configurable syntax highlighting, live preview, TeX-like math syntax, and auto-completion. My take: MacDown is a good alternative to Mou, and having an open source (MIT) license, will remain free. If you’re a web developer looking for a lean, fast, configurable editor, this might be the one for you. Haroopad Cost: Donationware Demo: n/a Other platforms: Windows, Linux The Markdown enabled Next Document Processor is designed for creating web-friendly documents with Markdown.

Use it to create professional-looking documents for your blogposts, slides, presentations, reports and email. The app has some advanced features, including support for LaTeX mathematical expressions, Vim key-bindings and embedding of audio and video. Themes and skins are available, and you can export your document to HTML and PDF, with more formats in the works. My take: Haroopad is still in beta, and the English documentation is still a little lacking. But the app is flexible and has a ton of features, as well as supporting the major desktop operating systems. And the price is right.

So, What Is the Best Mac Editor for You? The Mac Markdown ecosystem is rich and varied. With so many apps, which is the right one for you? That depends on your priorities, and what you’ll be using the app for. Here are some recommendations:.

If the tool of your trade is a text editor, and you already have a favorite, you can probably use it as an adequate Markdown editor too. If you’re a writer or blogger looking for a full-featured writing environment, then have a serious look at Ulysses. If you find the price a problem, you can use it for less than $10 a month by subscribing to SetApp. Or have a look at MWeb, LightPaper and Bear. If you’re a developer, Quiver is the ultimate notebook for you. Simpler options include Mou and MacDown.

If you’re an academic, Texts may be your best option, but also have a look at MWeb. If your preference is for an inexpensive, light-weight app, ByWord and IA Writer are excellent options. If distraction-free features are important, also consider Typora, Caret and Focused. If you don’t spend all of your time on a Mac so need something cross-platform, then check the features of Texts, Typora, Caret and Haroopad, and choose the one that best meets your needs. What’s your favorite Markdown editor?

Advertisement Markdown is a lightweight markup language that makes it easy to format and present content for the web. It uses plain text and simple syntax to keep everything straightforward—we for reference. While any plain text editor will work for Markdown, there are also dedicated Markdown editors for displaying and converting your writing into beautiful HTML, PDF, and beyond. Some of these are free, others are cheap, and some work with other tools to make Markdown more appealing. Here are six of the best Markdown editors and tools for Mac users.

MacDown MacDown is a Want to use some open source software on your Mac? These macOS apps are open-source, awesome, and best of all. Markdown editor based on. It surfaced when Mou’s developer ceased work on the project, sparking the idea to create a free editor that mimicked much of Mou’s features and functionality.

The two projects are separate ventures, with MacDown steaming ahead in terms of development. This is a Markdown editor that isn’t so much focused on code as it is writing. It uses a simple two-pane code view and rendered Markdown view to display changes in real-time. There’s the usual syntax highlighting you’d expect from an editor of its kind, and the editor offers a surprisingly good amount of customization. This includes changes to the core functionality, allowing you to toggle non-standard Markdown extensions like tables, strikethroughs, and fenced code blocks. There are a ton of light and dark themes to choose from.

Plus it has the ability to tweak editor appearance including line spacing and base font. You can also change rendering style by picking from the included CSS or installing your own stylesheets.

Rendering options are limited to HTML and PDF, with a handy Copy HTML feature for pasting directly into your projects. Download: (Free) 2.

If you’re not keen on the two-pane approach of most Markdown editors, check out Typora. It’s an editor that makes working with Markdown more visually appealing, using a seamless live preview rather than a separate window. Syntax converts into formatted text as you type, so what you see is what you get. Typora supports basic Markdown, GitHub Flavored Markdown, and some interesting additional elements like sequence, flowchart, and mermaid diagrams.

You can configure your choice of syntax via the preferences menu, which provides plenty of opportunity to tweak the editor to your liking. There’s very little on-screen while you’re composing your masterpiece. That makes this ideal for those who enjoy distraction-free writing experiences. Building on this there’s also a typewriter mode (which always keeps the cursor in the middle of the screen) and focus mode (which dims paragraphs you’re currently not working on).

Choose from six included styles, or add your own by copying the relevant stylesheets into the themes folder. In addition to the usual HTML and PDF export, Typora can also convert to Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, RTF, ePub, LaTeX, and image formats (among others).

There’s no online sync, so if you use multiple platforms you’ll need to provide your own cloud solution. Typora is currently free while in beta, and it’s available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Download: (Free) 3. Atom Atom is GitHub’s own plain text editor for scripting, coding, and writing GitHub Flavored Markdown.

It’s a fairly simple app with Markdown support out of the box, albeit a little barebones for writers. It takes the standard two-pane preview window approach, with a Markdown Preview option found under the Packages menu. Out of the box you’d be forgiven for discounting Atom, but there’s a lot more potential when you pair it with the right add-ons. A quick search of the package repository yields a healthy number of extensions that make Atom a force to be reckoned with when working with Markdown. These include conversion tools to HTML, PDF, and image formats. You’ll also find support for other flavors beyond GitHub Flavored Markdown, toolbar plugins, table of contents generators, better image support, and tools for improved tables. It’s a great solution if you already use Atom, or are looking for a plaintext editor you can also use for scripting or other programming purposes.

Atom also enjoys great theme support, so you can get your editor looking just the way you like it. Just search for and install themes within the editor.

Atom is completely free as part of GitHub’s efforts to provide a tool that makes coding accessible to all. It might not be the most user-friendly approach, but it’s a robust and powerful tool in the right hands.

That’s also worth checking out. Download: (Free) 4. Caret Caret is another minimal Markdown editor, with a clean interface and emphasis on productivity. It uses tabs to keep all relevant documents close at hand, with a main editor that displays both the syntax and the resulting formatted text. It’s a Markdown is the best way to write in plain text but still create complex documents. Unlike HTML or LaTex, for example, Markdown is simple to learn., since your syntax is always visible, but you can also enable a preview pane if you want. Caret officially supports GitHub Flavored Markdown, including tables, math blocks, and indented code blocks.

It also packs a few unique features, like the thematic break accessible with three spaces and three identical dashes or asterisks. The sidebar displays a folder’s contents, with your active documents appearing along the top edge of the editor. There’s a macOS Spotlight-like Go To tool for quickly jumping to a file or section of your document, a dark mode, and typewriter mode too. Caret’s developers built it with speed in mind. It features assistance for building tables, auto-completion of file paths, emoji, and HTML. You also get spelling correction and multiple cursors—a feature normally reserved for powerful text editors. Caret exports to HTML and PDF, and the beta version is free (though it’s not clear what the limitations to this version are).

You can buy a license for $29 to continue to use Caret and support development efforts. Download: (Free trial, $29) 5. Ulysses In 2016, not everyone needs a full-service word processing program, which is why software like Ulysses exists., with some seriously powerful features. It’s the sort of app you’ll want to use if writing is your livelihood, with its distraction-free and minimal approach to producing prose.

It uses Markdown in a bid to make writers more productive, removing the need to take your eyes off the text to apply formatting or create headers. Like Caret, Ulysses takes a hybrid approach to markup. Your syntax is still visible while writing, but so too is the formatting that this markup applies to your text. Links appear in-line, and bold and italics are both emphasized. You have the ability to customize how these elements appear in the app’s preferences.

For working with Markdown, you can choose from regular Markdown and what Ulysses calls Markdown XL. This adds additional syntax for elements like videos, annotations, comments, block quotes, and more. Some themes let you change how the editor displays your elements, plus you have the opportunity to create your own themes. Ulysses really comes into its own when it comes to exporting your writing.

There are themes available for exporting beautiful HTML and PDF documents, but also support for ePub and Microsoft Word. Cloud support via iCloud or Dropbox means you can work on the same documents using different devices (including iOS devices).

Versioning support ensures you can revert to a backup if needed. As a pure writing and publishing tool, Ulysses has the most to offer of all apps featured here. However, you might not need everything Ulysses offers, so a free option might suit you just as well. Ulysses uses a subscription model with a 14-day free trial, then $5 per month. You can also get Ulysses as part of the. Download: (Free trial, $5 monthly/$40 yearly) 6. Marked 2 Marked 2 isn’t actually an editor, but a Markdown preview tool.

That means you won’t use Marked to create documents, but it can turn just about any other text editor into a Markdown editor. The preview the app generates updates every time you save your file, or you can use it as a proofreading tool for files you’ve already created. The app includes a wide array of processing and rendering options for getting the look you want. You can customize Marked with your own CSS to match your blog, so you know how your articles will look as you write them. You can also use the built-in readability, spellcheck, and link validation tools to make sure your work is up to scratch. Marked also includes a table of contents panel for working with especially long documents, generated using your headings.

The app is compliant with Markdown, GitHub Flavored Markdown, and even includes support for custom processors so coders can use the app with their own syntax. Export options are extensive, with support for nine built-in themes (with the option of adding your own). Formats include PDF, RTF, Microsoft Word, and OpenOffice. You can try Marked for free before you buy, then pay $14 for the full version. It’s also available on Setapp. Download: (Free trial, $14) Don’t Forget Your Favorite Mac Text Editors You don’t need a fancy Markdown editor to work with Markdown. A plain text editor works too.

Your favorite editor will do, whether it’s Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, or Vim. Check out our Need a new text editor for your Mac? Here are the best free and paid macOS text editors for plain text, coding, and everything in between. If you’re looking for inspiration. Explore more about:,.