MiaoYan vs NotePlus
We give MiaoYan and NotePlus the same GPA: 3.2 out of 4.0. MiaoYan grades higher on the free plan. NotePlus grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MiaoYan
Native Mac Markdown notes app with a split editor and preview
NotePlus
Native Markdown notes app with kanban boards and AI chat
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAMiaoYanVery good | 3.2GPANotePlusVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | ABasic is $29 once for 1 Mac or PC plus 2 iPhones or iPads, and Pro is $39 for double that. That's about five months of a typical $5.99 a month plan here. A licence carries 1 year of updates, and newer versions after that need a $19 renewal, but the app keeps working either way. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BFree to download and use without a licence, and the pricing FAQ says there are no limits at present. Sounds like an A. But the same FAQ says some functions will be limited in future releases and doesn't say which, and Hub already needs a licence. |
| Features | 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. | BMarkdown that formats in place as you type, [[links]] between notes, password-locked notes, kanban boards saved beside your notes, and Hub, which drops messages from scripts into the app. Solid. But there's no sync of its own, and the AI chat only works with your own API key. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. There's no account to create. You pick a folder and type, and there's no separate preview pane to manage. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BMac, Windows, iPhone and iPad, with notes carried by iCloud Drive, Google Drive or Dropbox, and AI from OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek or Ollama. No Android, Linux or web version, which keeps it off the A. |
| Best for | writing raw Markdown on a Mac with a live preview | Markdown notes in your own cloud folder, bought once |
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: MiaoYan and NotePlus. How we grade
Where they differ
- MiaoYan starts at $14.99 one-time purchase (App Store edition). NotePlus starts at $29 one-time purchase (Basic license, 1 computer).
- Only NotePlus lists a Windows app.
- MiaoYan is open source, according to its own site.
- MiaoYan also covers presentations.
- NotePlus also covers kanban boards.
At a glance
| MiaoYan | NotePlus | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $14.99 one-time purchase (App Store edition) | $29 one-time purchase (Basic license, 1 computer) |
| Free plan | 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 to download and use without a license. The pricing FAQ says the unlicensed app has no limits at present and that some functions will be limited in future releases. Hub is part of a license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Tw93 (Tang Wei) | TablePlus Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | noteplus.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
NotePlus
- People who want Markdown notes as plain files in their own cloud folder
- Mac, Windows and iPhone users who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- Developers who want messages from scripts and CI jobs delivered next to their notes
Worth knowing
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.
NotePlus
- No Android, Linux or web version: the site lists macOS 12, iOS 15 and Windows 10 (64-bit) or later.
- A license includes 1 year of updates. The app keeps working after that, but moving to newer versions needs a renewal at $19 per seat.
- There is no sync service of its own: notes reach other devices through the cloud folder they are stored in.
- AI chat needs your own API key from a provider, and the site describes themes for Mac, iPhone and iPad only.
Key features
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.
NotePlus
- WYSIWYG Markdown editor
- Markdown is formatted in place as you type, with no separate preview pane. Headings, checklists, tables, code blocks and images are covered, and the file stays plain Markdown.
- Files in your own cloud folder
- Notes are kept in iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox or any folder that syncs, and that service does the syncing. No NotePlus account is involved.
- Linked notes and secret notes
- Typing two brackets and a name links to another note. A note can be locked with a password, which encrypts it in its file, and unlocked with Touch ID or Face ID.
- Kanban boards
- Boards with columns, cards and colors are saved in the same folder as the notes, and a card is dragged to another column as the work moves along.
- AI chat with your own API key
- A chat window and a sidebar assistant work with OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, Ollama and others. Chats are saved as files, and the assistant can read and update NotePlus items.
- Hub
- Works like an incoming webhook: a script, CI job or service posts text to a hook URL and it arrives in NotePlus with a notification on Mac and iPhone. Hub needs a license.
Plans
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.
NotePlus
Free download$0
The app without a license. The vendor calls this a free trial and says it has no limits at present, though some functions will be limited in future releases.
Basic$29
per license, one-time purchase
For individuals: 1 Mac or Windows PC plus 2 iPhones or iPads, all premium features including Hub, and 1 year of updates and support.
Pro$39
per license, one-time purchase
2 Macs or Windows PCs plus 4 iPhones or iPads, with the same premium features and 1 year of updates and support.
Custom$29
per seat, one-time purchase, from 3 seats
For teams and companies. Each seat covers 1 Mac or Windows PC plus 2 iPhones or iPads, with 1 year of updates and support.
Ways to pay less
MiaoYan
No public discounts listed.
NotePlus
- Other savings
Pro license covers two computers for $39
The pricing page marks the Pro license "Save 35%": it covers 2 Macs or Windows PCs and 4 iPhones or iPads for $39, where a Basic license for one computer costs $29.
- Education
50% education discount on request
The site's Education link goes to the TablePlus team's education plan, which gives students and teachers 50% off on request by email with proof of status. That page was written for TablePlus.
