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Now available on macOS

Your markdown files, beautifully rendered.

markdossier is a WYSIWYG markdown editor for macOS. Open your .md files and see beautiful documents - never raw syntax. Edit, browse, and export without ever leaving rich text.

markdossier editing an Architecture.md file with a rendered Mermaid diagram, sidebar file tree, and formatting toolbar
Only in markdossier

What the other 50 editors don't do.

There are plenty of markdown editors on the App Store. Most do the same things. These features exist nowhere else.

Exclusive

True WYSIWYG - no raw syntax, ever

Other editors split your screen into "source" and "preview." markdossier shows one view: the rendered document. You type in rich text. Bold is bold, not **bold**. Headers are sized, not prefixed with hashes. When you do toggle to raw mode, your text selection carries over - no losing your place. Toggle line numbers in rendered view so you can follow along when agents reference specific lines in their output.

Exclusive

Hot-reload when agents edit your files

Running Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot? When an AI agent writes to your .md files, markdossier detects the change and refreshes instantly. The sidebar auto-refreshes too - when agents create or delete files, they appear and disappear from your file tree without manual refresh. Your editor stays in sync with your agents at all times.

Exclusive

Right-click LLM token count

Select any text, right-click, and see the token count for major LLM models. Know exactly how much of your context window a prompt, config, or document will consume before you paste it into a chat.

Exclusive

Templates for CLAUDE.md and agent configs

Start new agent configurations from built-in templates - CLAUDE.md project files, system prompts, agent specs, PRDs, READMEs, and changelogs. The startup command palette puts templates one keystroke away every time you open a new window.

Full feature set

A complete markdown word processor.

Not a toy. Not a "notes app." markdossier is a serious writing tool with the features professional developers actually use.

📄 Rich editing

Full GFM support - tables, task lists, syntax-highlighted code blocks, KaTeX math (inline and block), Mermaid diagrams with pinch-to-zoom and scroll-to-pan, GitHub Alerts, highlights, superscript, and subscript. All rendered inline as you type.

📂 Drag folders in, browse everything

Drag a project folder into the sidebar and browse your files in a tree. Noise directories like node_modules and .git are hidden automatically. Configure which file types are visible in Preferences. Non-markdown files open in auto-raw mode. The sidebar watches your filesystem and auto-refreshes when files change.

📤 Export anywhere

PDF and HTML export built in - no extra tools needed. PDF renders your WYSIWYG view directly. HTML exports are self-contained with inline styles. Word, EPUB, LaTeX, RTF, and more via Pandoc.

🎨 Thoughtful typography

Choose from 8 curated font families in the toolbar dropdown. Smart quotes, proper dashes, and ligatures. Configurable font size, line height, and editor width. Your docs deserve the same care you put into writing them.

🔍 Find, search, navigate

Find and replace with full regex support. Global search across all files in your project. Open Quickly fuzzy file search. Outline panel with heading hierarchy and filter. Everything you need to move through large doc sets fast.

🌓 Light and dark themes

Follows your system appearance automatically. Both themes are designed from scratch with separate color palettes, not just inverted.

Built for macOS

Full Apple HIG menu structure, dock menu with recent files, Finder path bar drag-and-drop, cascade window positioning, and backdrop blur on overlays. Launches fast, follows your system theme, and feels at home on your Mac.

Focus mode

Dim everything except the current paragraph with Focus Mode (Cmd+Shift+\). Distraction-free writing when you need to concentrate on a single thought.

🔒 Fully local, fully private

No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. No login screen. Your files stay on your disk and nowhere else. Works completely offline.

📋 Startup command palette

Every new window opens with a command palette: New Document, Open File, Open Folder, Recent Files. A collapsible Templates section lets you start from CLAUDE.md, system prompts, agent specs, PRDs, READMEs, and more. Start typing to search everything.

🛡 Protects your work

Custom Save/Don't Save/Cancel dialogs before closing unsaved work. Undo history isolated per tab - Cmd+Z never reverts to the previous document after switching files. IDE-accurate line numbers in both rendered and raw modes.

🔌 40+ configurable preferences

Six preference categories: General, Editor, Appearance, Markdown, Image, and Files. Auto-save delay, spell check language, RTL support, code block settings, bullet styles, frontmatter type, and more. Make it yours.

How it compares

markdossier vs other markdown editors

A feature-by-feature comparison with the most popular markdown editors for Mac.

Feature markdossier Typora iA Writer Obsidian VS Code
True WYSIWYG (no split pane) Yes Yes No Plugin only No
AI agent hot-reload Yes No No No No
LLM token counting Yes No No No No
Developer config templates CLAUDE.md, PRDs, agent specs No No Community plugins Snippets only
Math + diagrams inline KaTeX + Mermaid with zoom KaTeX + Mermaid No Plugin only Extension only
No account required Yes Internet activation Yes Yes (core) Yes
Pricing $14.99 once $14.99 once $49.99 once Free (sync $48/yr) Free
Export formats Word, PDF, EPUB, HTML, LaTeX PDF, HTML, Word, EPUB, LaTeX PDF, Word, HTML PDF (plugin) Limited
Built for the AI-native workflow

Your config files, finally editable.

Every AI dev tool ships markdown configs. markdossier is the editor that turns them from raw text files into real documents you can read, write, and maintain.

  • 📜
    CLAUDE.md Edit your Claude Code project instructions with proper formatting. See headers, lists, and code blocks rendered - not raw hash marks in a terminal.
  • 🛠
    .cursorrules Write and maintain your Cursor editor rules in rich text. Spot formatting issues before they confuse your AI assistant.
  • 🤖
    Agent configs and AGENTS.md Multi-agent orchestration docs, workflow descriptions, skill definitions - all editable with syntax-highlighted code blocks intact.
  • 📚
    READMEs, PRDs, and runbooks Write and preview your docs exactly as they'll appear on GitHub. No more commit-refresh-fix cycles.
📄 CLAUDE.md
# Project Configuration

## Stack
- Runtime: Bun 1.x
- Language: TypeScript (strict)
- Framework: Hono

## Rules
- Testing: Always write tests first
- Style: Functional over OOP
- Commits: One per subsystem

## Agent Behavior
> Read before modifying.
> Verify before asserting.
> Ask before destroying.
Pricing

Pay once. Keep it forever.

No subscriptions. No recurring fees. No "free tier" that nags you into upgrading. Just a good app at an honest price.

markdossier
markdossier for macOS
$14.99
One-time purchase
  • Full WYSIWYG editor with all features
  • Free updates for life
  • Export to Word, PDF, EPUB, HTML, LaTeX
  • No account required
  • No cloud, no telemetry
  • Works fully offline
  • KaTeX math and Mermaid diagrams
  • 40+ configurable preferences

Same app, same price, same features. The App Store version updates automatically. The direct download includes a built-in updater.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is markdossier a good Typora alternative for macOS?
markdossier and Typora are both WYSIWYG markdown editors priced at $14.99 one-time. markdossier adds features Typora does not have: AI agent hot-reload that updates your document when Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot writes to your files, right-click LLM token counting, built-in templates for CLAUDE.md and agent configs, a startup command palette with categorized templates, and interactive Mermaid diagram zoom with pinch-to-zoom and scroll-to-pan. Unlike Typora, markdossier requires no internet activation.
What is the best WYSIWYG markdown editor for Mac?
markdossier is a true WYSIWYG markdown editor designed specifically for macOS developers. Unlike split-pane editors like VS Code, markdossier renders your document inline - you never see raw syntax. Unlike note-taking tools like Bear or Obsidian, it is purpose-built for editing .md files with full GFM support including tables, task lists, KaTeX math, interactive Mermaid diagrams, and 40+ configurable preferences. It costs $14.99 one-time with no subscription, no account, and no cloud dependency.
Does markdossier support AI agent hot-reload?
Yes. markdossier watches the filesystem and automatically refreshes your document when an AI agent writes to your .md files. This works with Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and any tool that writes to disk. The sidebar also auto-refreshes when files are created or deleted externally. No other markdown editor currently supports this workflow.
Is there a markdown editor with no subscription for Mac?
markdossier costs $14.99 one-time, available on the Mac App Store or as a direct download from markdossier.com. Both versions are identical - same app, same features, same price. There is no subscription, no recurring fee, and no "pro tier" with locked features. You get the full editor with all features, including free updates. By comparison, Bear costs $29.99 per year and Ulysses costs $39.99 per year. iA Writer is also one-time but costs $49.99 for Mac alone.
What is LLM token counting in a markdown editor?
In markdossier, you can select any text, right-click, and see the estimated token count for major LLM models. This tells you how much of a model's context window your text will consume before you paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or another AI tool. This is useful for developers managing CLAUDE.md files, system prompts, and agent configurations where token budget matters.
Does markdossier work offline?
Yes. markdossier is fully local. It requires no internet connection, no account creation, no cloud sync, and collects no telemetry. Your files stay on your disk and are never uploaded anywhere. The app works identically whether you are online or offline.