FSNotes vs MiaoYan
We give FSNotes a 3.4 GPA and MiaoYan a 3.2, out of 4.0. FSNotes grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FSNotes
Open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
MiaoYan
Native Mac Markdown notes app with a split editor and preview
Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAFSNotesVery good | 3.2GPAMiaoYanVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$8.99 once for the Mac app and $4.99 once for iPhone and iPad, with no subscription. Both together cost about what a typical notes app here charges for a couple of months. They are separate purchases, mind. | AThe App Store edition is $14.99 once on the US store, and that one purchase covers Mac, iPhone and iPad with Family Sharing. Paid plans in this category typically start at $5.99 a month, so it's under three months of a rival's subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe code is free under the MIT licence, and every release on GitHub includes a free build of the full Mac app, which Homebrew can install too. You miss out on App Store automatic updates. The iPhone and iPad app is the one part with no free route. | AThe open-source Mac edition is free under the MIT licence, from Homebrew or GitHub. On a Mac alone you could stay on it. Just know the README says it gets fixes only now, with anything new going to the paid edition. |
| Features | AMarkdown files any editor can read, instant search built for more than 10,000 files, links in double brackets, tags, AES-256 encryption for notes or whole folders, optional Git history and backups, plus Mermaid and MathJax. That's the whole job for personal notes. | BSource and preview side by side with scrolling kept in step, wikilinks with backlinks, LaTeX, Mermaid diagrams, version history and a slides mode. There's a miao command for the terminal too. But it's deliberately not WYSIWYG, and there's no plugin system and no sync of its own. |
| Ease of use | BNo account to make: point it at a folder and type. It's built around keyboard shortcuts in the Notational Velocity style, which is quick once your fingers know them. No App Store rating is on record to go by, so a B is as high as we go. | BThe App Store listing doesn't have enough ratings to show a score, so a B is our ceiling. No account is needed. You do have to be happy writing Markdown by hand, and a cloud drive has to carry the folder between devices. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac and iPhone, synced through iCloud Drive, with Git if you want it. All Apple, though. There's no Windows, Android or web version, Dropbox and Google Drive sync aren't available on iOS, and the iPad build lacks full keyboard shortcuts and multiple windows. | CMac on macOS 12.0 or later, and iPhone and iPad on iOS 18.0 or later. One family of devices. There's no Windows, Linux, Android or web version, and it works through iCloud Drive, Nutstore or Dropbox folders only. |
| Best for | fast Markdown notes as plain files on a Mac | writing raw Markdown on a Mac with a live preview |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FSNotes and MiaoYan. How we grade
Where they differ
- FSNotes starts at $4.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $8.99 one-time for Mac. MiaoYan starts at $14.99 one-time purchase (App Store edition).
- MiaoYan also covers linked notes and presentations.
In commonFree planmacOSiOSOpen sourceLocal-firstOne-time purchaseNotesMarkdown
At a glance
| FSNotes | MiaoYan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $8.99 one-time for Mac | $14.99 one-time purchase (App Store edition) |
| Free plan | The source code is free under the MIT license, and each release on GitHub includes a free build of the Mac app. The iPhone and iPad app is sold only through the App Store. | The open-source Mac edition is free under the MIT license through Homebrew or GitHub Releases. The README says it now receives fixes only, with new features going to the App Store edition. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Oleksandr Hlushchenko | Tw93 (Tang Wei) |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FSNotes
- Mac and iPhone users who want notes kept as plain Markdown files
- Keyboard-driven note-takers used to Notational Velocity-style apps
- People who want an open-source app with no account or subscription
MiaoYan
- Mac users who want to write Markdown source with a live preview beside it
- People who keep notes as plain files in iCloud Drive or another synced folder
- Presenting slides straight from a Markdown note
Worth knowing
FSNotes
- It runs on Apple platforms only, and the Mac and iPhone apps are separate purchases on the App Store.
- The iOS app syncs through iCloud Drive only; Dropbox, WebDAV and Google Drive sync are not available.
- The iPad build lacks dedicated iPad features such as full keyboard shortcuts and multiple windows; development focuses on macOS and iPhone.
- The free Mac build comes from GitHub releases or Homebrew; the site names the App Store apps as the official stable releases with automatic updates.
MiaoYan
- No Windows, Linux, Android or web version: the Mac app needs macOS 12.0 or later and the iPhone and iPad app needs iOS 18.0 or later.
- The free open-source build receives fixes only. New features and the iPhone and iPad app come with the $14.99 App Store edition.
- There is no WYSIWYG editing and no plugin system: you write Markdown source and read the result in a separate preview.
- The app has no sync service or account of its own, so a cloud-drive client has to keep the notes folder in step across devices.
Key features
FSNotes
- Plain Markdown files
- Notes are GitHub Flavored Markdown or plain text files in folders you choose, readable in any other editor. Images and attachments can sit in TextBundle containers.
- Keyboard-centric and fast
- Notational Velocity-inspired controls and shortcuts, instant search and a two-pane view, built to stay smooth with more than 10,000 files.
- iCloud Drive sync
- The same folders and notes, including pinned notes, stay available on a Mac and an iPhone through iCloud Drive.
- Git versioning and backups
- Optional Git integration makes scheduled commits, shows note history and can push to or pull from a remote repository.
- Encrypted notes and folders
- Individual notes or whole folders can be protected with AES-256 encryption and unlocked with Touch ID.
- Links, tags and rich Markdown
- Cross-note links in double brackets, tags, syntax highlighting for more than 30 programming languages, and Mermaid and MathJax rendering.
MiaoYan
- Split editor and preview
- Markdown source and its rendered preview sit side by side, updating in real time with scrolling kept in step in both directions. The editor is deliberately not WYSIWYG.
- Wikilinks, backlinks, LaTeX and Mermaid
- Notes link to one another with wikilinks and show their backlinks. LaTeX formulas and Mermaid diagrams are supported alongside standard Markdown.
- Plain files in a folder you choose
- Notes are ordinary Markdown files in a local folder. The app does not collect note data or sign in to cloud accounts; iCloud Drive, Nutstore or Dropbox can sync the folder.
- Presentation mode
- A note can be presented as slides in PPT mode, with --- lines separating one slide from the next.
- Command-line tool
- The miao command opens, creates, searches, lists and prints notes from the terminal, and is installed separately with a script from the repository.
- iPhone and iPad app
- The App Store edition includes an iPhone and iPad app that reads and edits the same Markdown folder through iCloud Drive, with folders, note previews and search.
Plans
FSNotes
GitHub release$0
A zip of the Mac app posted with each release on GitHub, also installable through Homebrew. The site points to the App Store for automatic updates.
FSNotes for iOS$4.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
The iPhone and iPad app, with iCloud Drive sync, encrypted notes and folders, tags and Git integration. Requires iOS 18.0 or later.
FSNotes for Mac$8.99
one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)
The Mac app, updated automatically through the Mac App Store. Requires macOS 12.4 or later.
MiaoYan
Open-source edition$0
The MIT-licensed Mac app from Homebrew or GitHub Releases, for macOS 12.0 or later. It now receives fixes only.
App Store edition$14.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
One purchase covers the Mac, iPhone and iPad apps, with automatic updates and Family Sharing. New features land in this edition.
