MarkText is a desktop Markdown editor that shows formatting as you type. Writers can work in a WYSIWYG preview or source-code mode, with focus and typewriter modes also available. It supports tables, KaTeX math, diagrams, footnotes, code highlighting, and YAML, TOML, and JSON front matter. Listed diagram options include Mermaid, Vega, and Vega-Lite. The editor includes 33 light and dark themes, with CSS customization available. Documents can be exported as PDF or self-contained HTML, and local files are supported. MarkText is free and open source under the MIT License, with no account required; the homepage says it has no tracking. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Installation notes specify macOS 11 or later and Windows 10 or 11, with arm64 and x64 installers for both. Homebrew, Chocolatey, and Winget are also listed as installation options. The project says it is built by volunteers and invites users to sponsor development on GitHub.
Who it is for
MarkText suits writers who want a desktop Markdown editor with real-time rendering and several writing modes. It is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What is good
- Free and open source under the MIT License
- Supports local files and requires no account
- Exports documents as PDF or self-contained HTML
- Includes 33 themes, customizable with CSS
What to know first
- No mobile apps are listed
- No publishing workflow is listed
- macOS requires version 11 or later
- Windows requires version 10 or 11
Verdict
MarkText combines multiple Markdown editing modes with support for diagrams, math, and common writing features. It is a desktop option for writers who need local files and PDF or HTML export, rather than a publishing workflow or mobile app.
MarkText plans and pricing
All plansCompared on writing apps
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Export formats
- HTML, PDF
- Publishing workflow
- none
- Markdown flavor
- custom
- Local file support
- Yes
