DotMDDotMD vs Marked 2.Preview only, or preview, edit and review?
macOS 14 or later. Reading is free; DotMD Pro has a 3-day free trial.
Short answer
Marked 2 is a Mac previewer, not an editor: you write in another app, and Marked shows the result each time you save. DotMD previews, edits and reviews in one window, and reading is free. Pick Marked 2 for a one-time previewer next to the editor you like; pick DotMD if you want to review what AI agents write.
Side by side
Marked 3, a newer version sold mainly as a subscription, came out in May 2026. This page compares Marked 2.
| DotMD | Marked 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Reading free. Pro $19.99/year (3-day trial) or $49.99 once | $13.99 on the Mac App Store; 7-day trial |
| Platforms | macOS 14 or later | macOS only |
| Editing | Yes, with Pro; optional live preview beside the text | No: "a previewer (not an editor)" |
| Your files | Plain .md files, edited in place | Plain files on disk; refreshes when you save |
| Comments | Built in with Pro; kept outside the .md file | CriticMarkup support for reviewing changes |
| Review of an agent's changes | Old and new text beside each comment; accept or reopen | — |
| Version history | Built in with Pro; up to 200 versions per file | — |
| AI agents / MCP | Local MCP server for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code | — |
| Export | PDF, HTML, rich text copy, print (Pro) | PDF, Word, HTML; copy HTML or RTF |
Choose Marked 2 if…
- You already write in an editor you like and only want a good preview beside it.
- You need Word export or nine built-in preview styles.
- You prefer a one-time price of $13.99 to a subscription.
Choose DotMD if…
- You want to read, edit and preview Markdown in one window, with reading free.
- You want your AI agent to send you a spec, and to comment on it and approve the fixes.
- You want a version history of every file, with earlier versions kept.
FAQ
Is there a Mac app that previews and edits Markdown, unlike Marked?
Yes. DotMD reads Markdown for free. With Pro it edits with a live preview beside the text and writes every change to the file at once.
Can I use both Marked 2 and DotMD?
Yes. Both work on plain files on disk. Keep Marked 2 for your writing workflow and use DotMD to review what an agent wrote or to keep a version history.
How much do Marked 2 and DotMD cost?
Marked 2 is $13.99 on the Mac App Store, with a 7-day trial. DotMD is free to read; Pro is $19.99 a year with a 3-day free trial, or $49.99 once.