MarkEdit

A free, open-source Markdown editor for Mac in the spirit of TextEdit.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 6
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About MarkEdit

MarkEdit is a small native Markdown editor for macOS, designed to feel like Apple's TextEdit but built around Markdown files. You open a .md file, write in a syntax-highlighted editor and save; there is no library, vault or proprietary database to manage. It is built on the CodeMirror editing component, so it stays fast on large files and supports features like multiple cursors, find and replace with regular expressions, and customisation through extensions and scripts. The developers describe it as opinionated and are cautious about adding features, which keeps it lightweight but means it is not trying to be a note-taking system or a WYSIWYG writing app. It is free and MIT licensed, collects no data, and is distributed through the Mac App Store and GitHub. Support is limited to the two latest major macOS releases, and there are no plans for iOS, Windows or Linux versions.

Best for: Mac users who want a light, free editor for plain Markdown files without a notes app around it.

What works

Free and MIT licensed, with no data collection
Native Mac app that opens plain .md files directly
Fast editing built on CodeMirror, extendable with scripts
Small and focused, with few settings to manage

Why people leave

macOS only, and only the latest two major releases
No live WYSIWYG preview like Typora
No built-in file library, linking or sync features

Top MarkEdit alternatives

See all 6

1
Typora
Paid, but shows Markdown as formatted text while you type and runs on Windows and Linux too.
66.5
2
Obsidian
Free for personal use and adds linking, a file vault and plugins if you outgrow single files.
65.0
3
Zettlr
Open-source Markdown writing app with citations and export, and versions for Windows and Linux.
59.2
4
CotEditor
Another free, native Mac text editor, better for general plain-text and code files beyond Markdown.
54.4
5
iA Writer
A paid, polished writing app with focus mode and publishing, available on iPhone and iPad as well.
52.6

Why people left MarkEdit

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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MarkEdit: common questions

Is MarkEdit free?

Yes. MarkEdit is free, open-source software.

Is MarkEdit open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at MarkEdit-app/MarkEdit.

What platforms does MarkEdit run on?

MarkEdit is available for macOS.

What are the best alternatives to MarkEdit?

The highest-ranked MarkEdit alternatives right now are Typora, Obsidian and Zettlr. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 6 MarkEdit alternatives

MarkEdit facts

4 of 4 verified

License: MIT; Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Price: Free and open source; Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “MarkEdit MarkEdit is a free and open-source Markdown editor, for macOS.”
Data collection: None; Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “Privacy Policy MarkEdit doesn't collect anything.”
Supported macOS: Latest two major releases; Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “To stay focused, we support only the latest two major macOS releases.”