# Typora alternative for Mac: 4 picks, free to one-time

> Typora is $14.99 once. Four Mac alternatives for writing or reading Markdown: Obsidian, VS Code, Marked and Markdown Everywhere, with prices from each maker.

Updated: 2026-10-13 · Our app tested on: MacBook Pro 14" (M1 Pro, 16 GB), macOS 26.3 Tahoe (also checked: Typora, Obsidian, VS Code and Marked: makers' websites and docs) · Prices checked: 2026-10-13 · Applies to: macOS 11 Big Sur – 26 Tahoe · Author: Tu Nguyen, OneClickTool Studio

## Short answer

- Typora costs $14.99 once for up to 3 devices, after a 15-day free trial.
- For a free writing app with links between notes, Obsidian is free for personal use with no sign-up.
- For a free editor with live preview, VS Code shows Markdown side by side with Command-K then V.
- For a previewer that works with any editor, Marked 2 is $14.99 once and Marked 3 is sold as a plan.
- For reading a whole folder of .md files at a glance, Markdown Everywhere is free on Mac and Windows. We make Markdown Everywhere.

## Why look past Typora?

Typora is a lovely Markdown editor. It hides the Markdown symbols as you type, so a heading looks like a heading straight away, and it has a file tree for a folder of notes. It costs **$14.99 once**, covers up to **3 devices** on macOS, Windows and Linux, and has a 15-day free trial.

People look for a Typora alternative for three reasons: they want something free, they want links between notes like a wiki, or they do not want to write in Typora at all and just need to **read** Markdown, such as docs, READMEs and the `.md` files AI coding tools produce. Those are different jobs, so the right swap depends on which one is yours.

## The alternatives at a glance

| App | Price | Best for | Writes Markdown | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typora | $14.99 once, 3 devices | Clean writing with live formatting | Yes | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Obsidian | Free for personal use | Notes linked to each other | Yes | Mac, Windows, Linux, phones |
| VS Code | Free | Developers already in an editor | Yes | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Marked 2 / Marked 3 | $14.99 once / plans | Previewing what you write elsewhere | No, it previews | Mac |
| Markdown Everywhere (ours) | Free | Reading a whole folder of .md files | No, it reads | Mac, Windows |

Prices were checked on each maker's site on October 13, 2026.

## 1. Obsidian: free, for linked notes

Obsidian's pricing page says it is "free without limits" for personal use, with no sign-up. A commercial license is optional at $50 per user per year. You pay only for extras: **Sync** at $4 a month billed yearly, and **Publish** at $8 a month billed yearly.

It works on a folder of plain `.md` files, so nothing is locked in. The big difference from Typora is links: type `[[` and you link one note to another, and a graph shows how everything connects. The editor shows formatting as you type, though it keeps more of the Markdown visible than Typora does.

## 2. VS Code: free, if you live in an editor

If you write code, you may already have the best free Typora alternative. Visual Studio Code opens any `.md` file and previews it: press <kbd>⇧</kbd> <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>V</kbd> to switch to the preview, or <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>K</kbd> then <kbd>V</kbd> to open the preview next to the file, updating as you type. It is not as calm as Typora for long writing, but it costs nothing and handles code blocks well.

## 3. Marked: a previewer for any editor

Marked does not replace your editor; it sits beside it. Write in any app, save, and Marked refreshes a polished preview, then exports to HTML, PDF or Word. **Marked 2** is still sold for $14.99 once. **Marked 3** is newer and sold as a plan: the site lists introductory pricing of $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, or a permanent unlock. It needs macOS 11 or later and has a free trial.

## 4. Markdown Everywhere: for reading a folder of .md files

Disclosure: we make Markdown Everywhere. It is not an editor, and if you want to write long documents, pick one of the apps above. It is for a different job: you have a folder full of Markdown, such as project docs, notes or the plans and skills that AI tools like Claude Code write, and you want to see it all at once.

Point [Markdown Everywhere](https://oneclicktool.app/desktop/markdown-everywhere) at a folder and it lists every Markdown file as a table, or as a map of which file links to which. Click any file to read it formatted. It is free for Mac (macOS 11 or later, Apple silicon and Intel) and Windows, with no account. We explain the reading workflow in [a Markdown viewer for Claude Code plans](https://oneclicktool.app/blog/claude-code-markdown-viewer), and compare general readers in [the best Markdown viewer for Mac](https://oneclicktool.app/blog/best-markdown-viewer-mac).

## Which one should you pick?

- **You love Typora's look and only mind the price:** $14.99 once for 3 devices is fair; keep it.
- **You want free and linked notes:** Obsidian.
- **You are a developer:** VS Code's built-in preview.
- **You write in one app and want a beautiful preview or export:** Marked.
- **You mostly read Markdown that others or AI tools write:** Markdown Everywhere.

More side-by-side guides are in [Compare Mac apps](https://oneclicktool.app/compare).

## FAQ

**Is there a free alternative to Typora?**

Yes. Obsidian is free for personal use and VS Code is free. Both edit Markdown with a preview. Markdown Everywhere is free too, but it is for reading and browsing Markdown files rather than writing them.

**Is Typora a one-time purchase?**

Yes. Typora's site lists $14.99 without tax as a one-time purchase that covers up to 3 devices, with a 15-day free trial.

**What is the difference between a Markdown editor and a Markdown viewer?**

An editor such as Typora or Obsidian is where you write. A viewer such as Marked or Markdown Everywhere shows finished Markdown nicely, often while you write in another app, and is handy for reading docs or AI-generated files.

**Does Typora work on Windows and Linux?**

Yes. Typora's site lists macOS, Windows and Linux, and one license covers up to 3 devices across them.

## Sources

- [Typora — official site](https://typora.io/)
- [Obsidian pricing](https://obsidian.md/pricing)
- [Markdown and Visual Studio Code — VS Code docs](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/languages/markdown)
- [Marked — official site](https://markedapp.com/index.md)
- [Markdown Everywhere — releases on GitHub](https://github.com/nvminhtu/markdown-viewer)

Source: https://oneclicktool.app/compare/typora-alternative-mac