Which Markdown editors are free?

Monoshiri Note, Obsidian, VS Code, MarkText, Zettlr, Joplin, StackEdit and Windows Notepad are free. Notion and Bear have free tiers, while Typora and iA Writer are paid one-time purchases.

No. It is a US$14.99 one-time purchase with a 15-day trial, and one license covers up to 3 of your own devices.

What is the difference between Obsidian and Typora?

Typora is a paid app for opening and writing one .md file at a time; Obsidian is a free app that manages notes as a whole folder (a vault) and connects them with links. If you want to use it on your phone, Obsidian fits; if table editing and export matter most, Typora fits.

Which apps can edit .md files on iPhone or iPad?

Monoshiri Note, Obsidian and iA Writer (paid) open and save .md files as they are. Bear and Joplin also run on iPhone and iPad, but they store notes as data inside the app and handle .md through import and export.

Which Markdown editors work on Android?

Of the apps on this page, Obsidian is the one that keeps files as .md and has an Android app. Joplin and Notion also run on Android, but handle .md through import and export. Monoshiri Note has no Android version.

Which Markdown editors let me write without switching to a preview?

Monoshiri Note, Typora, Obsidian (Live Preview), MarkText, Zettlr, Bear and Windows Notepad turn headings and tables into shape as you type. VS Code, iA Writer and StackEdit put the writing pane and the preview side by side or switch between them.

Can I use it without a Google account? (Monoshiri Note)

Yes, if you keep your notes in a folder on your computer on Mac and Windows, or inside the app on iPhone and iPad; no sign-in is needed. Google sign-in is only required for the browser version and for saving to Google Drive.

Which Markdown editors have AI features?

VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Notion, Joplin (off by default) and Windows Notepad have AI features. Monoshiri Note has no AI features; it is meant as a place to read and fix Markdown written by ChatGPT or Claude.

# Guide / What is Markdown?

Which Markdown editoropens .md files best? (2026 comparison)

Apps that open and edit .md files range from free ones to one-time purchases and subscriptions. Three things decide the choice: which devices you use, whether what you type takes shape in place or you check a separate preview, and whether it saves as plain .md.

This page is written by the team behind Monoshiri Note, but where another app is a better fit, we say so. Prices and features were checked on each maker's official site on October 4, 2026, and may change.

Last checked October 4, 2026

On this page

Picks by use case
Editing styles: in place, preview side by side, rich text
Price and devices
How you write, and how .md is handled
Tables, diagrams, math and checkboxes
Obsidian vs Typora
Moving from Notion to .md
What Monoshiri Note cannot do
Each app in a nutshell
Common questions

To choose in 30 seconds

Free, and writing the same .md from both phone and computer → Monoshiri Note (Obsidian if you also need Android)
On a computer, with table editing and export to PDF or Word as the priority → Typora (MarkText if you want it free)
Growing many notes connected by links → Obsidian

If you want to open a .md you have right now, the steps for each device are in “What is a .md file? How to open it”. If you copied an AI answer and got marks everywhere, see “When copying brings the marks along”.

Picks by use case

If you	Try
Want to read a .md you got from ChatGPT or similar, on your phone first	Monoshiri Note (iPhone, iPad), Obsidian (Android)
Want to write the same .md for free from Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad or a browser	Monoshiri Note
Want to write good-looking tables and diagrams for free on Windows	Monoshiri Note, MarkText, Obsidian
Like Notion’s ”/” writing feel but want to keep plain .md files	Monoshiri Note
Also want to use it on Android or Linux	Obsidian (on Linux, also Typora, MarkText, Zettlr, VS Code)
Want to connect lots of notes with links and grow them with plugins	Obsidian
Put table editing and export to PDF or Word first on a computer, and can pay once	Typora (MarkText if you want it free)
Write papers or long manuscripts and need citations and export	Zettlr
Want to write with focus, with a style check as well	iA Writer (paid)
Use only Apple devices and care about design and organizing with tags	Bear
Want collaborative editing and databases as a team	Notion (does not handle .md files themselves)
Manage documents in Git alongside code	VS Code
Just tidy up a light .md now and then on Windows	Windows Notepad

Editing styles: in place, preview side by side, rich text

Markdown editors fall into 3 styles by how they show what you write.

Takes shape in place

Heading・Bullet☑ To do

Where you write is what you see.
Monoshiri Note, Typora, Obsidian and others

Preview side by side

# Heading- Bullet- [x] To do

Heading・Bullet☑ To do

Write the marks, check them in a separate pane.
VS Code, iA Writer and others

Rich text

Heading・Bullet☑ To do

No marks. A .md is made by exporting.
Notion and others

To see what “takes shape in place” means, try the real Monoshiri Note editor at the end of this page.

Price and devices

○ means supported, × not supported, and — that it does not depend on the device (it runs in the browser). As of October 4, 2026. The table scrolls sideways.

App	Price	Windows	Mac	iPhone, iPad	Android	Linux	Browser
Monoshiri Note	Free, no ads	○	○	○	×	×	○
Typora	US$14.99 one-time purchase	○	○	×	×	○	×
Obsidian	Free (sync from US$4/month)	○	○	○	○	○	×
VS Code	Free	○	○	×	×	○	○ (vscode.dev)
Notion	Free; paid plans available	○	○	○	○	×	○
MarkText	Free	○	○	×	×	○	×
Joplin	Free (sync service is paid)	○	○	○	○	○	×
Zettlr	Free	○	○	×	×	○	×
iA Writer	US$29.99–49.99 one-time purchase	○	○	○	×	×	×
Bear	Free (Pro US$2.99/month)	×	○	○	×	×	×
StackEdit	Free	—	—	—	—	—	○
Windows Notepad	Free (built in)	○	×	×	×	×	×

StackEdit’s public source code has not been updated since May 2023.

How you write, and how .md is handled

As of October 4, 2026.

App	Editing style	Saves as plain .md	Main storage
Monoshiri Note	Takes shape in place	○	Google Drive, folders on your computer, inside the app (iPhone, iPad)
Typora	Takes shape in place	○	Folders on your computer
Obsidian	3 modes: in place (Live Preview), raw marks, reading	○	Folders on your computer or device (sync set up separately)
VS Code	Preview side by side or switched	○	Folders on your computer, GitHub
Notion	Rich text	× (import and export)	Notion’s cloud
MarkText	Takes shape in place	○	Folders on your computer
Joplin	Switches between Markdown and rich text	× (database inside the app)	Various sync services
Zettlr	Takes shape in place	○	Folders on your computer
iA Writer	Preview side by side or switched	○	iCloud, folders in the Files app
Bear	Takes shape in place	× (database inside the app)	Device, iCloud (Pro)
StackEdit	Preview side by side	○	Browser, Google Drive, Dropbox, GitHub
Windows Notepad	Takes shape in place (rolling out since 2025)	○	Folders on your computer

Apps with × under “Saves as plain .md” keep notes as data inside the app. They are not suited to opening a .md you received, fixing it, and saving it back to the same file.

Tables, diagrams, math and checkboxes

Mermaid is a way of writing text that turns into flowcharts and sequence diagrams. AI often uses it to explain steps or structures. As of October 4, 2026.

App	Table editing	Mermaid diagrams	Math	Checkboxes	AI features
Monoshiri Note	On screen (type in cells, add rows and columns)	○	○	○	None
Typora	On screen	○	○	○	Unverified
Obsidian	On screen (rows and columns by right-click)	○	○	○	None (added via plugins)
VS Code	Write the marks	○	○	Via extensions	Yes (Copilot, with a free tier)
Notion	On screen	Unverified	○	○	Yes (full use is paid)
MarkText	On screen	○	○	○	None
Joplin	Write the marks (enhanced by plugins)	○	○	○	Yes (off by default)
Zettlr	On screen	○	○	Unverified	None
iA Writer	Build the frame from a menu	Unverified	○	○	None (has a feature to tell AI-written text apart)
Bear	On screen	○	○	○	Unverified
StackEdit	Write the marks	○	○	○	None
Windows Notepad	Support in progress	Unverified	Unverified	Unverified	Yes (sign-in required)

In Monoshiri Note, you tap a table cell and retype it in place, and Mermaid text turns straight into a diagram.

A table and a flowchart written in Monoshiri Note

Obsidian vs Typora

Both are popular for the “takes shape as you type” style, but they think differently.

	Obsidian	Typora
Price	Free (sync is paid)	US$14.99 one-time purchase (15-day trial, up to 3 of your own devices)
How you use it	Manage notes as a whole folder (vault) and connect them with links	Open one `.md` and write
Phone	iPhone, iPad and Android apps	None
Extending	Many plugins	Change the look with themes
Export	PDF and more	Many formats, including PDF, Word and HTML

If your notes keep growing, or you want it on your phone too, choose Obsidian. If you want to polish documents one at a time and export them, choose Typora.

For a Typora-like writing feel for free, there is MarkText; to write the same .md across devices for free, Monoshiri Note is also an option.

Moving from Notion to .md

Notion notes are stored inside Notion. To keep them as .md files, use Notion’s export feature and choose the Markdown format.

Monoshiri Note opens the exported folder as is on Mac and Windows. Type / at the start of a line to pick tables, checklists, collapsible sections and more from a list, so you can keep writing with a feel close to Notion.

The "/" menu in Monoshiri Note

However, it does not replace Notion’s databases (sorting and filtering tables, switching views). If you mostly use databases, staying with Notion fits better.

What Monoshiri Note cannot do

Things worth knowing when you compare.

There is no Android or Linux version.
There are no AI features. It is meant as a place to read, fix and keep Markdown that AI has written.
There is no export to PDF or Word.
It lacks the breadth of note-to-note linking and has no plugins. Obsidian is strong here.
In Google Drive, only files created or opened with this app appear in the list. Files you put in through the Drive website can be brought in on the desktop version by dragging them into the list.

Compare.md Type here

# Try "takes shape in place"

This is the real editor. Type the marks and they take shape right where you are.

## Table

| App | Price | Phone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monoshiri Note | Free | ○ |
| Typora | One-time purchase | × |

## To do

- [x] Pick the apps to compare
- [ ] Actually open a .md file

## Flowchart (Mermaid)

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  A[Receive a .md] --> B[Open it]
  B --> C[Fix it]
```

Nothing is saved. What you type is gone when you leave this page.

Each app in a nutshell

What each does well, and who it is not for, one line each. Click a name to go to the official site. The green tags show the devices it runs on.

Monoshiri Note
Free, no ads
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsOpen the same .md from Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad or a browser, and the marks you type turn into headings and tables in place. Edit table cells directly; Mermaid diagrams and math take shape too. Works without sign-in on Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad.

Not forPeople who want Android or Linux, want AI to write for them, or need to export to PDF or Word.

App Store (Mac, iPhone, iPad)Microsoft Store (Windows)Browser version
Typora
US$14.99 one-time
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsThe classic of the takes-shape-in-place style. Strong table editing and export to PDF, Word and more.

Not forPeople who want it free, or want to use it on a phone too.
Obsidian
Free (sync is paid)
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsConnect notes with links and add features with plugins. Runs even on Android and Linux.

Not forPeople who want easy, free sync between devices (official sync is paid; otherwise you set it up yourself).
VS Code
Free
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsFor developers. Extensions add almost anything, and GitHub Copilot's AI is available.

Not forPeople who want to see the result right where they type, or use it on a phone.
Notion
Free; paid plans available
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsStrong at collaborative editing and databases. Has AI features too.

Not forPeople who want to open and edit .md files directly on their device (notes are stored inside Notion; .md is handled through import and export).
MarkText
Free
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsA writing feel close to Typora, for free. A new version came out in October 2026 and development has resumed.

Not forPeople who want to use it on a phone too.
Joplin
Free (sync service is paid)
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsCan encrypt and sync large numbers of notes.

Not forPeople who want to open a .md they received and save it back as is, or sync via Google Drive.
Zettlr
Free
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsMade for papers and long manuscripts. Its strengths are citations linked to reference managers, and export.

Not forPeople who want to use it on a phone too, or mostly take quick notes.
iA Writer
US$29.99–49.99 one-time
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsA tool for focused writing. Known for its style check and the quality of its typography.

Not forPeople who want it free, or want to use it on Android.
Bear
Free (Pro US$2.99/month)
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsA beautifully designed notes app for Apple devices.

Not forPeople who also want Windows or Android, or want to keep notes as .md files.
StackEdit
Free
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsWorks in the browser alone and syncs with Google Drive, Dropbox and GitHub.

Not forPeople who want a tool that is still being developed (updates stopped in 2023).
Windows Notepad
Free (built in)
- Windows
- Mac
- iPhone・iPad
- Android
- Linux
- Browser
StrengthsAlready installed. Began supporting Markdown formatting in 2025.

Not forPeople who also want Mac or a phone, or want diagrams and math.

Logos are trademarks of their owners, so they are not shown on this page. Prices and supported devices are as of October 4, 2026.

Common questions

Which Markdown editors are free?: Monoshiri Note, Obsidian, VS Code, MarkText, Zettlr, Joplin, StackEdit and Windows Notepad are free. Notion and Bear have free tiers, while Typora and iA Writer are paid one-time purchases.
Is Typora free?: No. It is a US$14.99 one-time purchase with a 15-day trial, and one license covers up to 3 of your own devices.
What is the difference between Obsidian and Typora?: Typora is a paid app for opening and writing one .md file at a time; Obsidian is a free app that manages notes as a whole folder (a vault) and connects them with links. If you want to use it on your phone, Obsidian fits; if table editing and export matter most, Typora fits.
Which apps can edit .md files on iPhone or iPad?: Monoshiri Note, Obsidian and iA Writer (paid) open and save .md files as they are. Bear and Joplin also run on iPhone and iPad, but they store notes as data inside the app and handle .md through import and export.
Which Markdown editors work on Android?: Of the apps on this page, Obsidian is the one that keeps files as .md and has an Android app. Joplin and Notion also run on Android, but handle .md through import and export. Monoshiri Note has no Android version.
Which Markdown editors let me write without switching to a preview?: Monoshiri Note, Typora, Obsidian (Live Preview), MarkText, Zettlr, Bear and Windows Notepad turn headings and tables into shape as you type. VS Code, iA Writer and StackEdit put the writing pane and the preview side by side or switch between them.
Can I use it without a Google account? (Monoshiri Note): Yes, if you keep your notes in a folder on your computer on Mac and Windows, or inside the app on iPhone and iPad; no sign-in is needed. Google sign-in is only required for the browser version and for saving to Google Drive.
Which Markdown editors have AI features?: VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Notion, Joplin (off by default) and Windows Notepad have AI features. Monoshiri Note has no AI features; it is meant as a place to read and fix Markdown written by ChatGPT or Claude.

##Related

Write one line and see.

Nothing to install — try it straight from the browser. Sign in with Google and the notes are created in your own Drive.

Start in the browser

Free / no ads