Byword Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to Byword for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative is Zettlr, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Byword and loads of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Byword are ghostwriter, Manuskript, MarkText and Clearly Markdown.

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Alternatives list

  1. Zettlr icon
     259 likes

    Unified writing platform offering note-taking, easy citations with Zotero integration, LaTeX/Word templates, snippets, themes, dark modes, code highlighting, multi-language support, and knowledge management with Zettelkasten for seamless writing from notes to books.

    206 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
     
  2. ghostwriter icon
     114 likes

    ghostwriter is a feature-rich text editor using Markdown syntax which makes it suitable for note-taking, document redaction, simple HTML website creation and much more.

    144 ghostwriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
     
  3. Manuskript icon
     171 likes

    Open-source software offering a hierarchical outliner, distraction-free editor, character management, plot tools, Snowflake method support, section multi-organization, customizable writing workflows, cross-platform availability, and export to standard formats.

    132 Manuskript alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
  4. MarkText icon
     122 likes

    Open-source Markdown editor on Mac, Windows, and Linux offering real-time preview, clean interface, and various themes. Supports math expressions, exports HTML/PDF, allows image pasting, and more.

    119 MarkText alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  5. Clean, native Markdown editor for macOS with syntax highlighting, real-time GitHub Flavored Markdown and Mermaid diagram preview, KaTeX math support, synchronized side-by-side editing, QuickLook integration, PDF export, format shortcuts, and no subscriptions.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  6. Bear icon
     98 likes

    Flexible note-taking and writing tool featuring advanced markdown with in-line images, cross-note links, live preview, hashtags, Focus Mode, plain text storage, iCloud sync, one-tap formatting, smart data recognition, and multiple export formats for portability.

    267 Bear alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  7. Dendron icon
     71 likes

    Dendron is an open-source, local-first, markdown-based, note-taking tool built on top of VSCode. It supports all the usual features you would expect like tagging, backlinks, a graph view, split panes, and so forth.

    222 Dendron alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Visual Studio Code
     
  8. iA Writer icon
     97 likes

    The key to good writing is not that magical glass of Bordeaux, the right kind of tobacco or that groovy background music. The key is focus. What you need to write well is a spartan setting that allows you to fully concentrate on your text and nothing but your text.

    125 iA Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  9. Ulysses icon
     70 likes

    Ulysses is a text editor for creative writers. Used by bloggers, poets, students and published novelists all over the world, it offers an integrated environment to brainstorm, draft, revise and even submit text on a professional level.

    146 Ulysses alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  10. marka.md icon
     10 likes

    A native macOS markdown editor specialized for AI context management. Live editor on the left (codemirror 6), rendered preview on the right (markdown-it + shiki + mermaid). Minimal Chrome, full catppuccin + matcha themes, macOS vibrancy, orange octopus mascot. ~10 MB bundle.

    52 marka.md alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
     
  11. Daino Notes icon
     10 likes

    Offers fast, distraction-free note-taking via a high-performance editor with real-time Markdown, local-first storage, image support, Kanban task boards, intuitive drag-and-drop, keyboard shortcuts, configurable themes, fast search, and cross-platform access.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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