Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MacDown VS MarkUpDown

Compare MacDown VS MarkUpDown and see what are their differences

MacDown logo MacDown

MacDown is an open source Markdown editor for OS X, released under the MIT License.

MarkUpDown logo MarkUpDown

MarkUpDown is one of the leading markdown editors that is specially developed for professional web content editors, enabling them to perform efficient HTML editing in no time.
  • MacDown Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • MarkUpDown Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-19

MacDown features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    MacDown features a clean and intuitive interface, making it accessible for both novice and experienced users to write and edit Markdown.
  • Live Preview
    It provides a live preview feature that allows users to see the rendered Markdown output alongside the editor, which is useful for immediate visual feedback.
  • Open-Source
    MacDown is an open-source application, allowing users to contribute to its development or customize the tool to fit their specific needs.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
    The application supports a variety of keyboard shortcuts, enhancing productivity and enabling faster Markdown editing.
  • Customizable Themes
    Users can customize the editor's themes and styles, allowing personalization to suit individual preferences or to have a specific aesthetic.

Possible disadvantages of MacDown

  • Mac-Only
    MacDown is only available for macOS, limiting its use to Mac users and excluding those on other operating systems like Windows or Linux.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to some other Markdown editors, MacDown might lack certain advanced features that power users might expect, such as integrated version control.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported performance issues, such as lag or crashes, especially when working with large Markdown files.
  • Slow Development
    The development and update cycle for MacDown can be slow, meaning that bugs and feature requests might take longer to be addressed.
  • Learning Curve for Customization
    While customizable, new users might find the process of tweaking themes and styles to be complex and time-consuming.

MarkUpDown features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    MarkUpDown offers an intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to create and edit markdown documents efficiently.
  • Real-Time Preview
    It provides a real-time preview feature that allows users to see changes as they make them, which helps in visualizing the final output.
  • Collaboration Features
    The platform supports collaborative work, enabling multiple users to edit documents simultaneously, which enhances teamwork and productivity.
  • Cross-Platform Accessibility
    MarkUpDown is accessible from multiple devices and platforms, allowing users to work on their projects from anywhere with an internet connection.
  • Export Options
    Users can export their markdown documents in various formats, such as PDF and HTML, providing flexibility in how documents are shared and presented.

Possible disadvantages of MarkUpDown

  • Limited Offline Functionality
    The application requires an internet connection for most features, which can be a drawback for users needing offline access.
  • Subscription Costs
    Some advanced features of MarkUpDown are locked behind a subscription paywall, which might be a barrier for budget-conscious users.
  • Learning Curve for New Users
    While it is user-friendly, new users may still face a learning curve when familiarizing themselves with advanced markdown syntax and features.
  • Dependency on Web Platform
    Since it's a web-based tool, users are dependent on the platform's stability and updates, which may cause disruptions if there are server issues.
  • Limited Customization
    Some users may find that the platform offers limited customization options for their workflows, affecting users with specific or niche needs.

Analysis of MacDown

Overall verdict

  • Yes, MacDown is generally considered a good Markdown editor, especially for macOS users who are looking for a straightforward and efficient tool for writing in Markdown.

Why this product is good

  • MacDown is a popular open-source Markdown editor for macOS. It is praised for its simplicity, ease of use, and its ability to render Markdown syntax in real time, which makes it particularly appealing to writers and developers. The editor offers a clean and intuitive interface, customizable themes, and support for various Markdown features. Its open-source nature allows for community-driven improvements and updates, which can enhance its functionality over time.

Recommended for

    MacDown is recommended for writers, bloggers, and developers who frequently work with Markdown and are using macOS. It is ideal for those who appreciate open-source software and want a tool that combines functionality with simplicity.

MacDown videos

BARRAS DE CORTE DA MACDOWN | APRESENTANDO MODs | FS19

MarkUpDown videos

No MarkUpDown videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MacDown and MarkUpDown)
Text Editors
82 82%
18% 18
Markdown Editor
78 78%
22% 22
Markdown Viewer
81 81%
19% 19
Free
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using MacDown and MarkUpDown. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MacDown seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MacDown mentions (8)

  • Show HN: NotesHub: cross-platform, Markdown-based note-taking app
    Thank you for crafting and sharing this. Have been looking for a modern MacDown[0] replacement, and this fit the bill nicely. Especially appreciate the reasonable, one-time cost and support for local storage. The "Key Features" section mentions "Export notes to PDF"; please consider adding an "Export notes to HTML" option. Custom theme support for the preview pane via CSS would be helpful too. [0]... - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Epub rendering with Pandoc
    I write a LOT of documentation in Markdown for $DAYJOB. I normally use Marked2 (not free, but I paid for my license 7-8 years ago) or MacDown (free) to preview them, and to export them to PDF. Both of these programs are specific to macOS, but a web search for "markdown editor" turns up a few dozen others, for other platforms. Most of these will have an "export to PDF" function built into them. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Good Free Application For Reading `.md` Files On Mac Pro
    MacDown is free, open source and super simple. Has been my go-to Markdown editor for years. Highly recommend. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Is there any beautiful Markdown editor?
    Macdown: https://macdown.uranusjr.com/ And here's a huge list: https://github.com/mundimark/awesome-markdown-editors. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • High probability of conversion issues from PDF to Epub
    So I convert the PDF to Markdown format. Then I use my Markdown editor of choice, Macdown, to clean up the text and then convert the resulting document into the format that I want. Source: about 3 years ago
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MarkUpDown mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MarkUpDown yet. Tracking of MarkUpDown recommendations started around Aug 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MacDown and MarkUpDown, you can also consider the following products

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.

Minimalist Markdown Editor - This is the simplest and slickest Markdown editor.

StackEdit - Full-featured, open-source Markdown editor based on PageDown, the Markdown library used by Stack Overflow and the other Stack Exchange sites.

Markdown by DaringFireball - Text-to-HTML conversion tool/syntax for web writers, by John Gruber

MarkdownPad - MarkdownPad is a full-featured Markdown editor for Windows. Features:

HedgeDoc - HedgeDoc is one of the attractive markdown editors that entitles you to easily make bites, graphs, and presentations in no time and lets you export it to many cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox so that your co-workers can instantly aโ€ฆ