Dev tools · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to MacDown

Open source Markdown editor for OS X influenced by Mou.

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. MacDown launched in 2014; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   Macdown▲87

   Open source Markdown editor for macOS. Contribute to MacDownApp/macdown development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2014 · github.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Mou▲73

   Markdown editor for web developers

   2014 · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Markoff▲94

   A free Markdown previewer for OS X

   2016 · thoughtbot.com · its alternatives →

4. 4LF
   LightPaper for Mac – Free Markdown editor▲132

   I'm not the author of the app (nor i have any connection with them, just a random user). iA Writer and Writer Pro aren't well suited for me as a developer. They feel quite "strange" to me. Mou is a good option (free too) but still missing some features. So far this, this editor is the most complete user-friendly. Hope it helps!

   2013 · clockworkengine.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Typed▲104

   New Markdown Editor for Mac by Realmac Software (pre-launch)

   2014 · realmacsoftware.com · its alternatives →

6. 6
   JotDown▲81

   A Markdown editor with built-in productivity functions

   2015 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Markdown Editor▲126

   Clean, modern & open-source WYSIWYG markdown editor

   2019 · mdown.vercel.app · its alternatives →

8. 8
   OpenMarkdown▲189

   A feather-light, local-first Markdown editor built for you and your agent.

   Jul 2026 · openmarkdown.dev · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Write.md – A free, open-source, themeable Markdown editor for macOS▲107

   A free, open-source Markdown editor for macOS with customizable appearance profiles, optional Vim keys, and local writing corrections.

   Aug 2026 · writemd.app · its alternatives →

10. 10
    MarkdownX▲258

    A new markdown editor built for the TallStack

    2021 · devdojo.com · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Snapdown▲137

    Turn anything on your Mac screen into clean Markdown

    Aug 2026 · snapdown.com.au · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Markdown Preview▲211

    Markdown Editor with instant preview using GitHub CSS.

    2022 · freecodetools.org · its alternatives →

13. 13
    MarkRight▲84

    A minimalistic github flavored markdown editor

    2015 · github.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    My WWDC-inspired project. A Markdown editor for Lion▲75

    2011 · kswizz.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Fuck Yeah Markdown▲121

    Turns websites into markdown

    2016 · fuckyeahmarkdown.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Typed▲256

    The stunning markdown and writing app for Mac

    2014 · realmacsoftware.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Caret▲265

    Beautiful and clever Markdown editor for Mac and PC

    2017 · caret.io · its alternatives →

18. 18
    WordMark▲78

    A lightweight blog publishing editor for Markdown writers

    2016 · wordmarkapp.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    DownMark▲184

    Turn web content into clean Markdown with one click

    2025 · wanyi.dev · its alternatives →

20. 20
    1Writer▲83

    Beautiful & easy to use Markdown editor w/ powerful features

    2014 · 1writerapp.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    Collaborative Markdown Editor▲83

    Collaborative editor with end-to-end encryption.

    2017 · standardnotes.org · its alternatives →

22. 22IS
    I spent 10 months building a Markdown editor for Mac, iOS and web▲69

    25d ago · markdown.beauty · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Moeditor▲110

    All-purpose markdown editor built with Electron

    2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    MagicDown▲96

    A minimal markdown editor making your writing look magical ✨

    2018 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →