UnmarkedOur pick
Pick Unmarked when Markdown is the document you need to read, write or send. Its native WYSIWYG editor, dedicated Read mode, table grid, Present mode and direct exports replace the source-preview setup. Keep Visual Studio Code when that Markdown file is part of a repository and Git, diffs or extensions define the work.
| Question | Unmarked | Visual Studio Code |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Reading, editing and finishing Markdown documents | Editing Markdown alongside code in a repository |
| Main view | Clean Read, WYSIWYG Write or scroll-synced Split | Source editor with preview or side-by-side preview |
| Tables | Direct grid editing, cell ranges, rich copy and row or column controls | Pipe syntax in source, rendered in preview |
| Diagrams | Mermaid renders locally in Read and Present | Mermaid preview support through extensions |
| Navigation | Document outline and recent files | File explorer, Markdown outline and workspace symbols |
| After writing | Present, paginated PDF, editable Word and self-contained HTML | Preview plus extension or command-based output workflows |
| Developer tools | A focused Mac document workflow | Built-in Git, diffs and an extension marketplace |
| Price | Free | Free |
Give Markdown a document window
Visual Studio Code treats Markdown well for a code editor. It provides source highlighting, a heading outline and a preview that can sit beside the file. Unmarked starts from a different place: the file is a document before it is source.
Write mode styles the Markdown in place and reveals marks around the cursor. Read mode removes the editor from the window. Split is there when checking source and output together actually helps. Most of the time, the document gets the whole space.
The result is easier to live in on a Mac. System spelling and grammar, native document windows, separate reading and writing typography and five light and dark theme families are ready without assembling an editor profile.
Edit the table itself
A preview can show that a Markdown table renders. Unmarked lets you work on the rendered structure. Move between cells with the keyboard, select a rectangular range, replace it at once and handle insertion, duplication, alignment or reordering from controls on the grid.
The source remains ordinary GFM. Rich copy takes the table into Mail, Slack, Docs or Notion with its structure intact. Word export creates an editable table, while PDF sizes columns from their content.
Mermaid follows the same idea. Diagrams render locally in Read mode and become full-screen content in Present without installing or configuring an extension.
The repository is the dividing line
Keep VS Code when the Markdown belongs beside source code and the next action is a diff, commit or extension command. Those are development tasks, and VS Code is shaped around them.
For a README you are reading, release notes you are reviewing, a spec you are sending or AI output you want to keep, Unmarked removes the development interface from the job. The same file can become full-screen slides, a paginated PDF, an editable Word document or self-contained HTML.
Both apps are free. If the work is the repository, open VS Code. If the work is the document, open Unmarked.
Which one fits your work?
Choose Unmarked if
- You want Markdown to look and behave like a beautiful Mac document.
- You prefer WYSIWYG editing and a dedicated reading view over raw source and preview.
- Tables and Mermaid diagrams should work without extensions.
- You present the file or send it as Word, PDF or HTML.
Choose Visual Studio Code only if
- The Markdown file belongs to a code repository and Git or diffs are part of the task.
- You need a programmable editor shared with other languages and extension-based tooling.