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MarkText vs iA Writer: catalog facts
MarkText	iA Writer
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence, funded by community sponsorship.	Paid A paid purchase or subscription is required, depending on platform.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Live in-place rendering with no preview pane and no leftover syntax characters CommonMark, GitHub Flavored Markdown and some Pandoc Markdown, plus KaTeX maths	Syntax control highlights adjectives, conjunctions and filler words Plain Markdown files in your own folders, with no proprietary library
Development is slow, with long gaps between releases Electron, so it is heavy for a text editor	Paid on every platform, with separate purchases in places Deliberately few features; it is not an organiser or notebook
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.