MarkText is a free desktop app for writing documents in Markdown, a simple plain-text format for headings, lists and bold text. It is for anyone who writes notes or documents and wants a clean editor that shows formatting as they type.
Has 2 of 5
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
Zettlr is a desktop app for writing notes and publications in plain text, with citation and export support. It is aimed at students, researchers and writers who want to keep their notes on their own computer.
Has 2 of 5 · Phone app ✗
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
Markor is a free text editor app for Android phones and tablets that is used for writing notes, to-do lists and Markdown documents. It is aimed at people who want simple, offline note-taking on their Android device.
Has 0 of 5 · Windows, Mac and Linux app ✗
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
None of these match. Try another device.
Help me choose
I want to pick an open-source replacement for Typora. Below is a list from Open Source Everything (CC BY-SA 4.0), in the order its website shows it. The order is a starting point, not a verdict.
- MarkText: MarkText is a free desktop app for writing documents in Markdown, a simple plain-text format for headings, lists and bold text. It is for anyone who writes notes or documents and wants a clean editor that shows formatting as they type. [Easy setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces fully; MIT; https://github.com/marktext/marktext]
- Zettlr: Zettlr is a desktop app for writing notes and publications in plain text, with citation and export support. It is aimed at students, researchers and writers who want to keep their notes on their own computer. [Easy setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces fully; GPL-3.0; https://github.com/Zettlr/Zettlr]
- Markor: Markor is a free text editor app for Android phones and tablets that is used for writing notes, to-do lists and Markdown documents. It is aimed at people who want simple, offline note-taking on their Android device. [Easy setup; Android; replaces fully; Apache-2.0; https://github.com/gsantner/markor]
Setup rating: "Easy setup" means you can install it like a normal app, use it in a browser. "Advanced setup" means you must run it on your own server or use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Full details: https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/markdown-editors.json
Before recommending anything, ask me these three questions (one at a time, in plain words): 1) Which device or devices will I use it on (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone)? 2) How comfortable am I with technical setup: only installing apps from a store, happy to follow a step-by-step guide, or comfortable with servers and the command line? 3) What is my budget: free only, or willing to pay for hosting or support? Then recommend one to three projects from this list only, and for each say why, using how fully it replaces the app, its setup rating, and the devices it runs on. If nothing on the list fits me, say so plainly instead of stretching.
Before you build
Read the list of open-source projects at https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/markdown-editors.json. Compare it with my project or idea below. Tell me which projects overlap, what I could reuse instead of rewriting, and what mine does that none of them do.
My project or idea:
