UnmarkedOur pick
For Mac users, Unmarked is our choice. Both apps make Markdown comfortable while you type. Unmarked goes further with a dedicated Read mode, richer table interaction, full-screen slides and direct Word export. Typora makes sense when the same editor must run on Windows or Linux.
| Question | Unmarked | Typora |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Reading, editing and handing off one Mac document | Cross-platform live Markdown editing |
| Writing | WYSIWYG Markdown with cursor-based syntax reveal | Continuous live-preview editing |
| Reading | Dedicated Read mode with no editing syntax | The editing surface is also the rendered surface |
| Tables | Grid selection, rich copy and controls that continue into export | Graphical table editor |
| Appearance | Five light and dark theme families with separate reading and writing type | Themes can be changed with CSS |
| Handoff | Slides and direct Word without extra tools, plus PDF and HTML | PDF, HTML and image built in. Word and other formats use Pandoc |
| Price | Free | $14.99 before tax after a 15-day trial |
Read mode finishes what live editing starts
Both apps keep Markdown syntax out of the way while you type. Unmarked styles the words, dims the marks and reveals the source around the cursor. You keep the clarity of the document and the honesty of the Markdown underneath it.
Unmarked goes one step further when you stop typing. Read mode clears the editing layer from the window. Links, task lists, code, images, tables and Mermaid diagrams behave like parts of the finished document. Write and scroll-synced Split remain one shortcut away.
Tables stay useful after you edit them
Both apps let you work with tables visually. Unmarked is especially good when the edit involves more than changing one cell. Drag across a block of cells, extend the range from the keyboard, replace it in one keystroke or copy it in a form that pastes cleanly into another document.
The row and column controls live on the table. Alignment, insertion, duplication, deletion and reordering happen without opening the pipe source. Save the file and it is still standard GFM. Export it and the grid becomes a real Word table or a PDF table sized from its contents.
Mac focus keeps the workflow clear
Unmarked has five theme families, each in light and dark. Reading and writing can use different fonts, sizes, line spacing and widths. The choices live in Settings, so making the document comfortable does not turn into maintaining CSS.
It is built in AppKit around native document windows and the Mac text system. Long files open with the visible content styled first, and common edits update the block you changed instead of repainting the whole document. Mermaid diagrams render locally in Read and Present.
The rest follows the same rule. Present uses headings you already wrote. PDF and Word export need no converter. The app opens the file from Finder, saves it in place and stays out of the folder structure around it.
On a Mac, Unmarked gives the file a clearer path from first edit to finished handoff. Typora earns the choice when cross-platform work is essential or your workflow already depends on math, CSS and Pandoc.
Which one fits your work?
Choose Unmarked if
- You want a beautiful Mac app with fewer setup decisions.
- A clean reading view matters as much as live editing.
- You work with tables that need selection, reordering and rich copy.
- You want slides and editable Word output without extra tools.
Choose Typora only if
- You need one editor across macOS, Windows and Linux.
- You depend on rendered math, custom CSS or Pandoc commands.