Best MacDown Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from markdown editors ranked against MacDown on the same published basis.
- 1MacDown vs StackEdit
- 2MacDown vs HackMD
- 3MacDown vs Dillinger
- 4MacDown vs MarkText
- 5MacDown vs MWeb
- 6MacDown vs Ghostwriter
- 7MacDown vs iA Writer
- 8MacDown vs Markra
- 9MacDown vs Muesli
- 10MacDown vs PanWriter
- 11MacDown vs HedgeDoc
- 12MacDown vs Composer
- 13MacDown vs Byword
- 14MacDown vs Zettlr
- 15MacDown vs MultiMarkdown Composer
- 16MacDown vs Typora
- 17MacDown vs Apostrophe
- 18MacDown vs Markdown Monster
- 20MacDown vs Ramble
- 21MacDown vs MarkdownPad
MacDown alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StackEdit | 8.3 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 2 | HackMD | 8.1 | Free plan | $5/mo | Web |
| 3 | Dillinger | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 4 | MarkText | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | MWeb | 7.9 | No | $34.99/mo | iOS, Mac |
| 6 | Ghostwriter | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | iA Writer | 7.6 | No | — | Mac, Windows, iOS |
| 8 | Markra | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 9 | Muesli | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 10 | PanWriter | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 11 | HedgeDoc | 7.2 | No | — | self-hosted, Web |
| 12 | Composer | 7.1 | Free plan | $5.99/mo | Web |
| 13 | Byword | 7.0 | No | — | iOS, Mac |
| 14 | Zettlr | 6.8 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 15 | MultiMarkdown Composer | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Mac |
| 16 | Typora | 6.6 | No | $14.99/mo | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| 17 | Apostrophe | 6.5 | No | — | Linux |
| 18 | Markdown Monster | 6.4 | No | — | Windows |
| 20 | Ramble | 6.1 | No | — | Web |
| 21 | MarkdownPad | 6.1 | Free plan | $14.95/mo | Windows |
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Questions about MacDown alternatives
What is the best alternative to MacDown?
StackEdit, number 1 in markdown editors with a score of 8.3 out of 10. The others here: HackMD, Dillinger, MarkText and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to MacDown?
StackEdit is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 11 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Is there an open-source alternative to MacDown?
Yes: StackEdit, PanWriter.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.