MacDown 3000
MacDown 3000 is free Markdown editor for macOS focused on local files and live rendered previews.
What MacDown 3000 is
MacDown 3000 is free Markdown editor for macOS focused on local files and live rendered previews. It converts Markdown to HTML with Hoedown and offers rendering options in Preferences. CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown are supported, including task lists, fenced code blocks, TeX-like math notation, and Jekyll front matter. Prism supplies syntax highlighting for programming and markup languages. Editing aids include configurable bracket and quote pairing, list continuation, and formatting shortcuts. Documents can be exported to HTML or PDF with customizable styling. MacDown 3000 is Free Software under the MIT License, and contributions are welcome. The site lists stable release 3000.0.7 as a 7.8 MB download and pre-release 3000.0.8-rc.1 as an 8.8 MB download that may contain experimental features or bugs. Installation is available through a Homebrew cask command, and support is directed to GitHub issues. The FAQ says VIM mode is unavailable.
Good
- Free macOS Markdown editor
- Supports CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown
- Provides live preview and syntax highlighting
- Exports HTML and PDF
- Offers configurable editing shortcuts
Watch out
- No VIM mode
- Pre-release may contain bugs
- Runs on macOS only
- Stable download is 7.8 MB
Who it suits
MacDown 3000 suits Mac users writing Markdown locally who want a live preview, syntax highlighting, and HTML or PDF export. It also fits users seeking MIT-licensed software.
Verdict
MacDown 3000 covers local Markdown editing, previewing, formatting assistance, and export without a listed purchase price. Its macOS focus and lack of VIM mode are the main points to weigh.
Plans and prices
From MacDown 3000's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | macOS 11.0+ · Apple Silicon and Intel |
The facts
Each one read from MacDown 3000's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Additional formats
- It supports TeX-like math notation, GitHub Flavored Markdown task lists, and Jekyll front matter.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Donations
- Donations help cover the Apple developer license, listed at $99 per year, and proceeds beyond maintenance costs go to the Signal Foundation.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Download
- The site lists stable release 3000.0.7 as a 7.8 MB download and pre-release 3000.0.8-rc.1 as an 8.8 MB download; the pre-release may contain experimental features or bugs.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Editing assistance
- It provides configurable bracket and quote pairing, list continuation, and formatting shortcuts.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Export
- It exports documents to HTML or PDF with customizable styling options.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Export formats
- HTML,PDFchecked 20 Sep 2026
- Installation
- The site provides a Homebrew cask installation command: brew install --cask macdown-3000.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- MacDown 3000 is Free Software released under the MIT License, and contributions are welcome.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Local file support
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Markdown rendering
- It uses Hoedown to convert Markdown to HTML and provides a live preview, fenced code blocks, and rendering options in Preferences.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Markdown standards
- It supports CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- The FAQ says MacDown 3000 does not have VIM mode.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Publishing workflow
- static_sitechecked 20 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- MacDown 3000 is a free, lightweight Markdown editor for macOS.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The site directs questions, problems, and suggestions to the GitHub issue tracker.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Syntax highlighting
- Code blocks get syntax highlighting via Prism for programming and markup languages.checked 8 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Platforms
- The universal binary requires macOS 11.0 or later and runs on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- macoschecked 20 Sep 2026
