# MacDown review (2026): is it any good? > Open-source Markdown editor for macOS with live preview Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. MacDown is a Markdown editor for macOS released under the MIT License. It renders a live preview of the document with configurable rendering options. The version on its site is 0.7.3, and the page's copyright line runs to 2021. - **Category:** Writing Tools - **Made by:** Tzu-ping Chung - **Website:** https://macdown.uranusjr.com - **Runs on:** macOS - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you're not on a Mac, as other platforms aren't planned. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, MacDown is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** MacDown is open source under the MIT License and free to download, with no account. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The full Markdown editor for macOS, also installable with Homebrew. | Read from https://macdown.uranusjr.com/ on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with MacDown before buying. ## Key features - **Live preview:** Hoedown renders Markdown to HTML as you type, and the rendering options can be changed in Preferences. - **Syntax highlighting:** Fenced code blocks with a language name are highlighted using Prism. - **Math and task lists:** It renders TeX-like math such as $$...$$ blocks and GitHub-style task lists. - **Jekyll front matter:** Jekyll front matter is among the additional rendering tools the features page lists. - **Auto-completion:** The features page describes auto-completion built for the author's own needs, and says it can be turned off. ## Good for - Mac users who want a plain, free Markdown editor with a preview pane - Developers writing README files and Jekyll posts ## Worth knowing - It runs on macOS only; the FAQ says other platforms are not planned for now. - The latest release on the site is 0.7.3 and the footer says 2014 to 2021, so updates have been infrequent. - The app is not signed with an Apple developer certificate, so macOS asks you to open it manually the first time, according to the FAQ. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. MacDown is a free open-source Markdown editor for Mac with a live preview. It's Mac only, the latest release is 0.7.3 and the footer says 2014 to 2021, and the app is unsigned. Look elsewhere if you want a tool that's kept up. - **Value for money: A.** Free under the MIT License, with no account. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole app is free and open source, with nothing to cap. - **Features: C.** Live preview, syntax highlighting, math, task lists and Jekyll front matter. A Markdown editor and not a full writing suite. - **Ease of use: B.** No store rating on record, but it's a Mac app with a preview pane and nothing to set up. macOS asks you to open it manually the first time. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Mac only, and the FAQ says other platforms are not planned. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Tzu-ping Chung's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among writing tools - MacDown's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 67 of the 100 other writing tools we grade, and level with 18. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 81 of 100) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). - MacDown has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/writing ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** MacDown is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 67 of the 100 other writing tools we grade. - You could make: Markdown: an app builder makes this well. - You could not: A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Open source, Markdown ## Alternatives - [Typora](https://toolgpa.com/tools/typora): Minimal Markdown editor that renders formatting as you type. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/macdown-vs-typora) - [MarkText](https://toolgpa.com/tools/marktext): Free, open-source Markdown editor with in-place live rendering. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/macdown-vs-marktext) - [Zettlr](https://toolgpa.com/tools/zettlr): Free, open-source Markdown editor for academic writing. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/macdown-vs-zettlr) - [iA Writer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/ia-writer): Minimal plain-text Markdown writing app with Focus Mode. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/ia-writer-vs-macdown) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://macdown.uranusjr.com/ - https://macdown.uranusjr.com/features/ - https://macdown.uranusjr.com/faq/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/macdown Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).