MacDown Markdown: Complete Guide
MacDown is a free, open-source markdown editor for macOS. It features a split-pane view with live preview, syntax highlighting, and customizable CSS themes. MacDown uses the Hoedown rendering engine and supports GFM with extensions.
Markdown support:Full
Markdown Support in MacDown
| Format | Syntax | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | **text** | Yes |
| Italic | *text* | Yes |
| Strikethrough | ~~text~~ | Yes |
| Headings | # H1 ... ###### H6 | Yes |
| Links | [text](url) | Yes |
| Images |  | Yes |
| Blockquotes | > quote | Yes |
| Ordered Lists | 1. item | Yes |
| Unordered Lists | - item | Yes |
| Code (inline) | `code` | Yes |
| Code Blocks | ```lang\ncode\n``` | Yes |
| Tables | | col | col | | Yes |
| Task Lists | - [ ] task | Yes |
| Footnotes | [^1] | Yes Supported via Hoedown extension |
| Horizontal Rule | --- | Yes |
Things to know
- macOS only. Uses the Hoedown C library for fast markdown rendering.
- Customizable preview themes with user CSS.
- Supports auto-completion of markdown syntax.
- Inspired by the Mou editor, which is no longer maintained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does MacDown support markdown?
Yes. MacDown is a dedicated markdown editor with full support for CommonMark, GFM tables, task lists, footnotes, code blocks, and math rendering.
How do you bold text in MacDown?
Wrap the text with double asterisks: **bold text**. MacDown renders the bold formatting in the live preview pane on the right.
Is MacDown free?
Yes. MacDown is completely free and open source. It is available exclusively for macOS.
Does MacDown support syntax highlighting?
Yes. MacDown supports syntax highlighting in fenced code blocks for many programming languages. The editor itself also highlights markdown syntax.