MacDown is one of the best Markdown editors available for macOS. The application is free and open source, and it strikes a good balance between power and simplicity. MacDown provides excellent Markdown support.

MacDown sports two panes โ€” you type on the left and preview the formatted text on the right. Basic export options for HTML and PDF file format are provided. You can enable and disable support for many syntax elements, a nice feature for people who simply donโ€™t want or need all of the bells and whistles.

The MacDown application with open Markdown file.

MacDown Markdown Support

MacDown provides support for the following Markdown elements.

ElementSupportNotes
HeadingsYes
ParagraphsYes
Line BreaksYes
BoldYes
ItalicYes
BlockquotesYes
Ordered ListsYes
Unordered ListsYes
CodeYes
Horizontal RulesYes
LinksYes
ImagesYes
TablesYesEnabled by default in Preferences > Markdown.
Fenced Code BlocksYesEnabled by default in Preferences > Markdown.
Syntax HighlightingYesDisabled by default. Enable in Preferences > Rendering.
FootnotesYesEnabled by default in Preferences > Markdown.
Heading IDsNo
Definition ListsNo
StrikethroughYesDisabled by default. Enable in Preferences > Markdown.
Task ListsYesDisabled by default. Enable in Preferences > Markdown.
Emoji (copy and paste)Yes
Emoji (shortcodes)No
HighlightYesDisabled by default. Enable in Preferences > Markdown.
SubscriptNo
SuperscriptYesDisabled by default. Enable in Preferences > Markdown.
Automatic URL LinkingYesDisabled by default. Enable in Preferences > Markdown.
Disabling Automatic URL LinkingYes
HTMLYes

Support for Additional Syntax Elements

As an added bonus, MacDown provides support for several obscure elements. These are disabled by default, but you can enable them in Preferences > Markdown.

ElementMarkdownRendered Output
Underline_word or phrase_word or phrase

See Also

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