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MiaoYan

Native, local-first Markdown writing app for Mac, with a paid companion for iPhone and iPad.

Open sourceText and Markdown editors
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About MiaoYan

MiaoYan is a lightweight Markdown notes and writing app built natively in Swift rather than Electron. Notes are plain Markdown files in a folder you choose, shown in a three-column layout of folders, notes and editor. You write in source Markdown with syntax highlighting and switch to a typeset preview, a side-by-side split with synced scrolling, or a slide presentation mode. It covers wikilinks and backlinks, LaTeX, Mermaid diagrams, version history and a command-line tool, but deliberately has no plugin system. Sync is left to iCloud Drive or any file-sync client, and the app does not collect note data. It suits writers who want direct control over their files and find Typora's WYSIWYG or Obsidian's plugin ecosystem more than they need. The Mac app is free and open source under MIT; the iPhone and iPad versions are closed source and come with a one-time App Store purchase that also covers the Mac.

Best for: Mac writers who want a fast native Markdown editor on plain local files.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Native Swift app, not Electron
  • Plain Markdown files in a folder you control
  • Split preview, slides, LaTeX and Mermaid built in
  • Free and open source on Mac

Why people leave

  • Apple platforms only: no Windows, Linux or Android
  • No plugin system for extending it
  • Source-plus-preview editing, not WYSIWYG like Typora

Top MiaoYan alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Obsidian logo
    Obsidian

    Also works on local Markdown files, with a huge plugin ecosystem and apps on every platform.

    70.6
  2. 2Bear logo
    Bear

    Polished native Apple notes app with Markdown styling and built-in sync across devices.

    64.5
  3. 3Zettlr logo
    Zettlr

    Free, open-source Markdown editor with citations and Zettelkasten links that also runs on Windows and Linux.

    60.4
  4. 4iA Writer logo
    iA Writer

    Focused Markdown writing app with a clean preview, available on Windows and Android too.

    52.6
  5. 5Ulysses logo
    Ulysses

    Subscription Mac and iOS writing app with a library, goals and publishing export for longer projects.

    50.0

Why people left MiaoYan

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

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Reviews

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MiaoYan: common questions

Is MiaoYan free?

Yes. MiaoYan is free, open-source software.

Is MiaoYan open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at tw93/MiaoYan.

What platforms does MiaoYan run on?

MiaoYan is available for macOS and iOS.

What are the best alternatives to MiaoYan?

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

See all 5 MiaoYan alternatives