MiaoYan
Native Mac Markdown notes app with a split editor and preview
MiaoYan report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 9, 2026
Best for writing raw Markdown on a Mac with a live preview
MiaoYan is for Mac people who like typing Markdown and watching it render next door. Your notes stay as plain files in a folder you choose, and there's a free open-source build to start on. New features and the iPhone and iPad app come with the $14.99 App Store edition, though, so the free one is standing still. And it's Apple only.
Who MiaoYan is for
- Great if you write Markdown source and want the rendered page right beside it
- Handy when your notes already sit as plain files in iCloud Drive or Dropbox
- Good for people who present slides straight from a note, with --- between each one
Who MiaoYan is not for
- Skip it if you use Windows, Linux or Android, as it's Mac, iPhone and iPad only
- Not for you if you want to edit the formatted page itself, because there's no WYSIWYG mode
- Tight if you're staying free and want it on your phone, since the iPhone and iPad app is part of the $14.99 edition
Why MiaoYan gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyThe 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.
- AFree plan and trialThe 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.
- BFeaturesSource 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.
- BEase of useThe 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.
- CPlatforms and integrationsMac 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MiaoYan's own pages on 9 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make MiaoYan? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/miaoyan#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/miaoyan.svg" alt="MiaoYan: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>What is MiaoYan?
MiaoYan is a native Markdown note-taking app for the Mac, written in Swift, that keeps notes as plain files in a folder you choose. It pairs a Markdown source editor with a live preview and adds wikilinks with backlinks, LaTeX, Mermaid diagrams, version history and a presentation mode. The open-source edition is free and now receives fixes only, while a paid App Store edition gets the new features and includes an iPhone and iPad app.
MiaoYan has a free plan. Paid plans start at $14.99 one-time purchase (App Store edition). See every plan
Good for
- 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
- 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
- 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.
MiaoYan pricing
- Starts at
- $14.99 one-time purchase (App Store edition)
- 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 trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $14.99one-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. |
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with MiaoYan before you buy.
Works with
- iCloud Drive
- Nutstore
- Dropbox
MiaoYan alternatives
- MiaoYan vs FSNotes
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
- MiaoYan vs Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
- MiaoYan vs The Archive
Free trial · from $19.99 one-time
- MiaoYan vs Bear
Free plan · from $2.99/mo
- MiaoYan vs NotePlus
Free plan · from $29 one-time
Common questions
Is MiaoYan free?
MiaoYan has a 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. Paid plans start at $14.99 one-time purchase (App Store edition).
How much does MiaoYan cost?
MiaoYan lists 2 plans. Open-source edition: $0. App Store edition: $14.99 one-time purchase (US App Store). Prices were read from apps.apple.com on Oct 9, 2026.
What platforms does MiaoYan work on?
MiaoYan is available on macOS and iOS.
Does MiaoYan have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. MiaoYan is listed for macOS and iOS.
Does MiaoYan have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. MiaoYan is listed for macOS and iOS.
Is MiaoYan open source?
Yes. MiaoYan is open source, according to its own site.
What does MiaoYan integrate with?
MiaoYan's listing names iCloud Drive, Nutstore and Dropbox. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes MiaoYan?
MiaoYan is made by Tw93 (Tang Wei).
What are the alternatives to MiaoYan?
The closest alternatives to MiaoYan in our directory are FSNotes, Obsidian, The Archive, Bear and NotePlus. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with MiaoYan.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026.