DotMDBest Markdown apps for Mac.Picked by what you actually do.
macOS 14 or later. Reading is free; editing and reviews are one payment.
Short answer
For writing with a live preview: Typora. For a personal knowledge base: Obsidian. For previewing files from another editor and rich export: Marked 2. For a free, open-source editor: MacDown 3000. For reading and reviewing Markdown that AI agents write: DotMD. All five open .md files on a Mac; they differ in price, editing and what happens around the file.
The short list
"Unconfirmed" means we found nothing on the app's official pages, which is not the same as "no".
| App | Price model | Editing | Mermaid | Export | AI agents | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typora | One-time purchase, free trial | Yes, live preview | Yes, from a mermaid code block | PDF, HTML, image; Word and more via Pandoc | None found | Writing |
| Obsidian | Free app; paid sync and publish are optional | Yes, live preview and source mode | Yes, from a mermaid code block | Unconfirmed | No official MCP; community plugins | Notes |
| Marked 2 | One-time purchase, free trial | No, a previewer | Unconfirmed | PDF, Word, HTML | None found | Previewing |
| MacDown 3000 | Free, open source | Yes, live preview | Unconfirmed | HTML, PDF | Unconfirmed | A free editor |
| DotMD | Reading free; editing and review are one-time purchases (pricing) | Yes, with Editor | Yes, offline | PDF, HTML, rich text | Local MCP server | Agents' documents |
Best for writing: Typora
Typora is a minimal Markdown editor and reader with a live preview that has no separate preview pane: the page is formatted as you type. It also has a source mode. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, and exports to PDF, HTML and images, and to Word and other formats through Pandoc. If you write a lot and want one clean window, it is the strongest choice here. DotMD is not trying to be that; see DotMD vs Typora.
Best for notes: Obsidian
Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge-base app that stores notes as plain Markdown files in a vault, a folder on your disk. The app is free for personal and commercial use, with optional paid Sync and Publish. It runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. If you want linked notes across all your devices, Obsidian is built for that and DotMD is not. See DotMD vs Obsidian.
Best for previewing: Marked 2
Marked 2 is a previewer, not an editor. You write in any text editor, and Marked refreshes the preview each time you save. It has nine built-in styles, and exports to PDF, Word and complete HTML. If you already have an editor you love and want a good rendered view and export, Marked 2 does that very well. See DotMD vs Marked 2.
Best free editor: MacDown 3000
MacDown 3000 is a maintained fork of the original MacDown. It is a free, open-source editor under the MIT license, with a live preview as you type, math notation, export to HTML and PDF, and a folder sidebar. It needs macOS 11 or later and has a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel. If you want a free Markdown editor and nothing else, it fits. See DotMD vs MacDown.
Best for AI agents' documents: DotMD
DotMD is a Markdown viewer and editor for Mac with review built in. It reads Markdown, folders, Mermaid diagrams and math for free. With DotMD Reviewer you comment on a passage, and Claude Code, Codex or Cursor reads your comments over MCP and fixes them. You see each fix with the old text in red and the new in green, and accept or reopen it. It runs on macOS 14 or later only, so if you also use Windows or Linux, pick another one from this list. See Review AI specs.
How we checked
We read each app's official website, store page, help pages and release notes, in October and November 2026. We did not test every feature in every app. The facts about DotMD come from its own guide. Where an official page says nothing, the table says "unconfirmed". Prices change, so follow the links rather than trust any number we could quote.
FAQ
What is the best free Markdown viewer for Mac?
DotMD (reading is free) and MacDown 3000 (free and open source). Obsidian is free too, but it is built around a vault of notes.
Which Mac Markdown app shows Mermaid diagrams?
DotMD draws them offline, and so do Typora and Obsidian, from a mermaid code block. For Marked 2 and MacDown 3000 we found no statement about Mermaid on their official pages, so it is unconfirmed; check before you rely on it.
Which one works with Claude Code?
DotMD connects to Claude Code, Codex and Cursor over MCP. The other apps open the files an agent writes, but we found no agent connection on their official pages.