MarkText

A simple, elegant Markdown editor for Linux, macOS and Windows that renders formatting as you type, with a focus on speed and usability.

63.4k stars, 4.7k forks TypeScript On GitHub since November 2017

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is MarkText?

MarkText is a desktop editor for writing Markdown files with a live preview in place: headings, tables, code blocks, math and diagrams are rendered as you type instead of in a separate pane. It supports CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown, has focus and typewriter modes, themes, and exports to HTML and PDF. It works on any folder of Markdown files, without a database or account.

Good fit if

  • You write documents, READMEs or notes in Markdown and want a distraction-free editor.
  • You want to keep plain files that any other tool can open.

Look elsewhere if

Before you adopt it

MarkText is MIT-licensed and free. After a long quiet period it is being developed again, mainly by one maintainer, who wrote nearly 90% of recent commits.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

MarkText health: is it still maintained?

85 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    385 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    11 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 89% of them.
    14 / 20
  • Releases
    6 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v0.23.0, on 21 October 2026.
    17 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 100% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 3 hours.
    20 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 3.8 of 10.
    4 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

MarkText license: is it open source?

MarkText uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. November 2017First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayMIT.

How to run MarkText yourself

Docker
No Docker files in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Windows, macOS, Linux, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
15 languages

Install instructions: marktext.me or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to MarkText

  • ZettlrYour One-Stop Publication Workbench 82 health · GPL-3.0 · 13.8k stars
  • MiaoYanA quiet, local-first Markdown writing app for Mac, to help you write great sentences. 75 health · MIT · 8.7k stars
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  • FSNotesFast Markdown note-taking app for Mac and iPhone 66 health · MIT · 7.6k stars
  • JoplinJoplin - the privacy-focused note taking app with sync capabilities for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and… 87 health · AGPL-3.0 · 57k stars

All 34 projects in Notes & knowledge bases

Questions about MarkText

Is MarkText open source?

Yes. MarkText is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is MarkText still maintained?

Its health score is 85 of 100 (actively developed). It had 385 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 21 October 2026.

How do I run MarkText?

You can run it as an app for Windows, macOS, Linux, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to MarkText?

Close alternatives in the Notes & knowledge bases category include Zettlr, MiaoYan, AFFiNE.