UnmarkedOur pick
Pick Unmarked for everyday Markdown on a Mac. It keeps the writing surface quiet, then gives the finished file a stronger reading, table and export experience. iA Writer earns the choice when its writing analysis or cross-device library is the main reason you are shopping.
| Question | Unmarked | iA Writer |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Writing and finishing one Markdown document | Focused drafting across a writing library |
| Writing view | Styled in place with syntax revealed at the cursor | Plain-text editor with Auto-Markdown and separate Preview |
| Reading | Dedicated Read mode for using the finished document | Preview beside or apart from the Editor |
| Tables | Direct grid editing, range selection and structural controls | Markdown source with live spacing, rendered in Preview |
| Appearance | Light and dark themes plus separate reading and writing typography | Editor fonts and preview templates |
| Handoff | Slides, PDF, editable Word, HTML and rich-text copy | PDF and Word export |
| Purchase | Free | Seven-day trial, then a one-time purchase per platform |
The writing surface stays quiet
Unmarked styles Markdown in place. Marks dim until the cursor reaches them. Select text and a compact formatting bar appears. Add a table, quote, task or code block from the Insert menu. When you are only typing, those controls leave the page alone.
You can choose a different font, size, spacing and width for writing and reading. Five theme families cover light and dark without asking you to build a theme. Spell and grammar checking use the Mac settings you already know.
Read mode is a real destination
Preview tells you whether formatting worked. Read mode lets you use the document. Task boxes can be checked, code can be copied, links open and local images zoom. The outline moves through headings while word count and reading time stay in the status bar.
That difference matters for READMEs, meeting notes, specs and AI output. You spend plenty of time reading those files after the last edit. Unmarked gives that time the whole window.
Tables and handoff do not break the flow
A Markdown table opens as a grid in Write mode. Edit the cells directly, select a range, add or move rows and columns, set alignment and keep typing. It saves as normal Markdown, so the file stays portable.
When the document is ready, Present turns headings into slides. PDF handles real pages. DOCX contains Word headings, lists, links, images and editable tables. Rich-text copy is ready for Mail, Slack, Docs or Notion.
Unmarked is built for the work that continues after the last sentence. iA Writer makes sense when writing analysis or its library is the feature you are actually buying.
Which one fits your work?
Choose Unmarked if
- You want a beautiful native Mac app that stays quiet while you write.
- You care about how the finished document reads and feels.
- Tables should behave like a grid, not a row of pipe characters.
- You present your work or hand it off as Word, PDF or rich text.
Choose iA Writer only if
- Focus Mode, Style Check or Authorship is central to your writing process.
- You want a library that spans Mac, iPhone, iPad and Windows.