The very best Markdown editor for Mac in 2024

Now I’m right here to be the voice of Markdown.

I desire writing in Markdown over utilizing WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors for all my work, particularly on the draft stage, whether or not it’s articles, copy for web site, promoting, or video scripts. 

Markdown enables you to model the textual content as you go and shortly flesh out concepts, with out getting distracted with guide visible changes, which might be handled later.

What’s the finest editor for Markdown?

Let’s begin with a fast overview. You’ll discover extra particulars under.

Let’s dive into why you must give Markdown a attempt to record the very best Markdown editors obtainable on Mac.

What’s Markdown?

Markdown is a straightforward markup language used for formatting plain-text paperwork. Created in 2004 by John Gruber (Daring Fireball), Markdown was meant to be a instrument for writers that styled plain-text paperwork and mechanically transformed them into HTML when printed.

Not like HTML, which can be a markup language, Markdown options much less intrusive tags that make the textual content a lot simpler to learn. For instance, Markdown makes use of # for H1 headers versus <h1><< />pan>/h1> in HTML.

Since Markdown is barely meant to model plain textual content, it’s not as expansive of a language as HTML. Nevertheless, all HTML is legitimate Markdown, so writers who discover some options missing in Markdown can merely write them in HTML. 

Gruber explains the distinction between Markdown and HTML on this manner:

The concept for Markdown is to make it straightforward to learn, write, and edit prose. HTML is a publishing format; Markdown is a writing format.

Currently, there’s been an increase in mild Markdown editors that provide minimalist writing environments versus feature-heavy ones like Google Docs or Microsoft Phrase. Whereas Markdown has the whole lot you could publish easy paperwork, you possibly can simply use Markdown for drafts and transfer to phrase processors for wealthy textual content modifying.

What are the very best makes use of of Markdown?

Markdown shines if you need to add mild styling to plain textual content as you write, similar to marking headings, italicizing, bolding, inserting hyperlinks, making lists, and highlighting. 

Since Markdown styling is typed, you possibly can add modifications with out taking your fingers off the keyboard and breaking your circulation. 

One other good thing about Markdown is that it creates legitimate HTML, so all of the textual content styling you do within the course of is prepared for publishing on-line as is thru most CMS platforms. In case you model your textual content in a phrase processor first, it’s possible you’ll need to restyle it if you paste it into your CMS.

Prime Markdown editors and viewers of 2024

On the subject of selecting the very best Markdown editor for Mac, there are many choices, every tailor-made to a special workflow, from note-taking apps to textual content editors to net publishing instruments. Here’s a record of my favourite desktop Markdown editors for Mac right this moment.

1. Ulysses: Write Markdown on any scale

Whereas most Markdown apps are likely to prioritize a selected a part of the writing course of, similar to drafting or pre-publishing, Ulysses does all of it. This app can function your note-taking companion, storing ideas and quotes out of your analysis, a to-do or challenge administration app, with interlinked paperwork serving as tasks, and an expert writing setting, serving to you write something from weblog posts to novels.

Ulysses encompasses a minimalist writing setting that will get out of the way in which, letting you focus with out distractions. Native help for Markdown additionally implies that any styling might be carried out with just a few keyboard shortcuts. After that, you possibly can publish your textual content to WordPress or Medium proper from the app, in addition to export PDFs and different text-based codecs.

Chances are you’ll prefer it for

• Native help for Markdown 
• Distraction-free writing setting
• Guide file sorting throughout the library
• iCloud sync throughout gadgets

Chances are you’ll dislike it for

• $50 a 12 months subscription (except used with Setapp along with 240+ different apps for $9.99)
• Decreased styling choices in comparison with phrase processors

Platform

macOS, iOS

While you’re working in a strong editor for Markdown like Ulysses, one of many belongings you’ll discover is that your styling doesn’t get mirrored within the Markdown doc in actual time. It’s essential to preview or export your textual content to see the styling results. If you wish to see your doc altering as you sort, use Marked.

Marked presents reside Markdown preview for any textual content editor you select together with a lot of different instruments like phrase depend, readability evaluation, checking grammar, passive voice detection, and extra. 

To get Marked working, merely open the identical textual content file in each Marked and your feature-rich Markdown editor on the identical time.

2. Craft: Markdown with multimedia help

Because the App Retailer App of the 12 months 2021, Craft has lots going for it. Somewhat than being one of many pure Markdown cell editors, it incorporates all the advantages of Markdown into an app that helps advanced design constructions, from interactive webpages to company directories.

Craft makes it straightforward to hyperlink textual content parts to one another, arrange information into folders, and create grasp paperwork. Not like different plain-text Markdown options, Craft helps photos and movies, and gives 50 GB of cloud storage for its clients. Sharing, collaborating, and commenting on information can be included.

Chances are you’ll prefer it for

• Collaboration options
• Constructed-in AI assistant help
• 50 GB of cloud storage on your paperwork

Chances are you’ll dislike it for

• Advanced UI in comparison with plain-text editors

Platform

macOS, iOS

3. iA Author: Markdown writing for design perfectionists

One of many apps for writing Markdown that I actually love is iA Author. Created by the iA design company, iA Author elevates the whole lot that’s nice about Markdown whereas solely conserving the important options for a real distraction-free writing setting. 

For instance, iA Author doesn’t help inline photos, customized fonts, or advanced library file constructions. On the identical time, the app has a spotlight mode, options three stunning fonts designed from scratch, highlights syntax, permits for wikilinks between information, has a file library, and syncs over iCloud. 

Chances are you’ll prefer it for

• Meticulous consideration to each design element
• One-time cost of $49.99 (no subscription)
• Highlights for adjectives, adverbs, overused phrases
• An built-in file library that syncs over iCloud

Chances are you’ll dislike it for 

• No in-text help for photos
• No collaboration options

Platform

macOS, iOS, Home windows, Android

4. Bear: Highly effective Markdown note-taking

Since Markdown is commonly used for sketches and drafts, it’s not stunning that it additionally works effectively for notes. Bear is an award-winning Markdown note-taking app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad that permits you to write the whole lot with Markdown but in addition visually modifications the textual content as you model it, creating stunning plain-text notes because of this.

Moreover Markdown help, Bear encompasses a built-in library with help for tags, OCR search, exports in numerous codecs, picture cropping, be aware outlines, sketches, locked notes, customized themes, and extra. 

Chances are you’ll prefer it for

• Markdown with visible styling
• Assist for photos
• Locked and encrypted notes

Chances are you’ll dislike it for

• Being solely obtainable for Apple gadgets

Platform

macOS, iOS

5. MarsEdit: Markdown-based on-line publishing

It is perhaps that the very best Markdown editor on-line publishers use is MarsEdit. This app permits you to compose weblog posts or some other writing destined for the online offline, with out relying in your CMS.

With MarsEdit, you possibly can write your content material in Markdown each as plain-text or rich-text information, and even full-blown HTML. You get real-time previews (with custom-made templates) and native integration with numerous running a blog platforms, similar to WordPress, MetaWeblog, and AtomPub. All kinds of media information and attachments are additionally supported. Lastly, you by no means lose your progress in MarsEdit, as all of your content material will get backed up in a separate folder in your Mac.

Chances are you’ll prefer it for

• Full HTML help
• Native integration with running a blog platforms
• Native, steady file backup

Chances are you’ll dislike it for

• Being particular to net publishing

Platform

macOS

6. MarkText: A free cross-platform Markdown editor

Whereas all of the Markdown apps described above are industrial, MarkText stands out as being a brand new free and open-source contender. It’s a feature-rich app, with help for customized themes; diagrams, math, and code blocks; and inline formatting. 

MarkText continues to be in early growth and thus has occasional bugs. The app is out there on Mac, Home windows, and Linux, however not on cell platforms. However once more — it’s utterly free!

Chances are you’ll prefer it for

• Being free and open supply

Chances are you’ll dislike it for

• Nonetheless being in early growth
• Not obtainable on cell gadgets

Platform

macOS, Home windows, Linux

7. Bike: An app for structuring concepts

Fact be informed, there’s no magic in Markdown per se. That’s why in your seek for the very best Markdown editor, it’s price contemplating apps which are Markdown-inspired whereas not strictly following all of its syntax.

Bike is a light-weight and quick outliner app that works for the whole lot from spontaneous concepts to structured tasks to detailed analysis papers. The app makes use of a wealthy textual content editor however shows the textual content in a Markdown-like model, whether or not it’s headings, lists, blockquotes, or code.

Different nice options of Bike are the typewriter mode (that will help you focus), deep hyperlinks for connecting separate notes, and textual content stats.

Chances are you’ll prefer it for

• Quick and light-weight interface
• Markdown-inspired styling
• Deep hyperlinks

Chances are you’ll dislike it for

Platform

macOS

8. MonsterWriter: Create advanced textual content paperwork

One of many areas the place most desktop Markdown editors miss the mark is creating advanced textual content paperwork which have footnotes, tables of contents, bibliographies, LaTeX math notation, and so forth. 

One of many areas the place most desktop Markdown editors miss the mark is creating advanced textual content paperwork which have footnotes, tables of contents, bibliographies, LaTeX math notation, and so forth. 

MonsterWriter solves this drawback, breaking down any textual content doc into parts that may very well be managed, organized, and cross-referenced on the fly utilizing keyboard shortcuts (impressed by Markdown). As well as, MonsterWriter additionally features a backup instrument and an export function to PDFs, LaTex, and HTML.

Chances are you’ll prefer it for

• Simple to construction advanced paperwork
• Constructed-in backups

Chances are you’ll dislike it for

• Not appropriate for brief notes and concepts
• No built-in library of notes

Platform

macOS

What are the disadvantages of Markdown?

Whereas Markdown presents a simple solution to model paperwork on the go, it’s not the one viable solution to write and edit textual content. 

In case you copy-paste Markdown textual content right into a rich-text editor that doesn’t help Markdown syntax, not one of the tags will auto-convert, which suggests you’ll need to restyle the whole lot by hand. 

Markdown additionally presents the fundamentals of styling and doesn’t embody a lot of superior choices that phrase processors provide you with. In case you’re primarily engaged on closely styled paperwork, Markdown modifying may not be for you.

Select a strong editor for Markdown and take a look at it free of charge

Scanning via the above, you possibly can see that Markdown editors have a tendency to return in all types of flavors and tailor to a wide range of audiences. Ulysses is as shut as you will get to an all-around Markdown editor. Craft presents a lot of multimedia help. MarsEdit helps with on-line publishing. Bike makes structuring concepts straightforward. And MonsterWriter takes care of advanced paperwork. 

Attempt all these apps free for seven days with a trial of Setapp. Setapp is a platform with greater than 240 best-in-class Mac and iOS apps throughout all classes. Obtain these and different apps right this moment and add new favorites to your assortment.