{
  "@context": [
    "https://schema.org",
    {
      "nuanyue": "https://www.nuanyue.com/ns#"
    }
  ],
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "@id": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/macdown/#software",
  "name": "MacDown",
  "description": "Open-source Markdown editor for macOS with live preview, syntax-highlighted fenced code blocks and HTML/PDF export, MIT licensed and unmaintained since 2020.",
  "url": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/macdown/",
  "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/macdown/",
  "operatingSystem": "macOS",
  "applicationCategory": "BusinessApplication",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "uranusjr",
    "url": "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/",
    "https://github.com/MacDownApp/macdown"
  ],
  "softwareVersion": "0.7.3",
  "license": "MIT",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0",
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  },
  "nuanyue:record": {
    "schemaVersion": 1,
    "id": "software:macdown",
    "slug": "macdown",
    "name": "MacDown",
    "type": "SoftwareApplication",
    "entityType": "Markdown editor",
    "description": "Open-source Markdown editor for macOS with live preview, syntax-highlighted fenced code blocks and HTML/PDF export, MIT licensed and unmaintained since 2020.",
    "shortDescription": "Open-source Markdown editor for macOS, unmaintained since 2020.",
    "answer": "MacDown is an open-source Markdown editor for macOS, written from scratch as a successor to Mou after Mou's author put it up for sale. It does the things that made Mou popular — a live preview beside the source, highly customisable Markdown rendering, syntax highlighting in fenced code blocks and sophisticated auto-completion — and it is MIT licensed and free. The problem is time: the last release is 0.7.3 from January 2020, the repository has had no pushes since July 2023, and it carries hundreds of open issues. It still runs, but it is a finished project rather than a maintained one.",
    "page": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/macdown/",
    "dataUrl": "https://www.nuanyue.com/data/software/macdown.json",
    "categories": [
      "productivity"
    ],
    "tags": [],
    "platform": [
      "macOS"
    ],
    "architecture": [],
    "featured": false,
    "pricing": "open-source",
    "pricingDescription": "Free and open source under the MIT licence. There is no paid tier, no account and no licence key.",
    "license": "MIT",
    "currentVersion": "0.7.3",
    "releaseDate": "2020-01-03",
    "openSource": true,
    "website": "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/",
    "documentation": "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/features/",
    "github": "https://github.com/MacDownApp/macdown",
    "download": "https://github.com/MacDownApp/macdown/releases/download/v0.7.3/MacDown.app.zip",
    "developer": {
      "name": "uranusjr",
      "website": "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/"
    },
    "icon": "/apps/macdown.png",
    "features": [
      "Live preview of the rendered Markdown beside the source",
      "Highly customisable Markdown rendering",
      "Syntax highlighting inside fenced code blocks",
      "Sophisticated auto-completion",
      "Export to HTML and PDF alongside editing",
      "MIT licensed, with the full text in the repository's LICENSE directory",
      "Written in Objective-C as a native Mac application rather than an Electron shell"
    ],
    "useCases": [
      "Writing Markdown on a Mac with a live preview beside the text",
      "Producing an HTML or PDF file from a Markdown source without a build step",
      "Drafting documents with fenced code blocks that need syntax highlighting"
    ],
    "formats": [],
    "integrations": [],
    "pros": [
      {
        "text": "Free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier or account.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Live preview of the rendered Markdown beside the source, which is the feature people came to Mou for.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Highly customisable Markdown rendering rather than a fixed pipeline.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Syntax highlighting in fenced code blocks and sophisticated auto-completion.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "cons": [
      {
        "text": "No release since 0.7.3 in January 2020, and no repository activity since July 2023.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Several hundred open issues with no maintainer activity to close them.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "No macOS requirement is published anywhere on the site or in the repository.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "0.7.3 predates Apple Silicon by years, and nothing states a native build for it.",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "whoIsItFor": [
      "Anyone who wants a free, native Markdown editor with a live preview",
      "Users who remember Mou and want the editor written to replace it",
      "People comfortable running an application that will not be updated again"
    ],
    "notFor": [
      "Anyone who needs a maintained editor — the last release was January 2020",
      "Users on Apple Silicon who need a confirmed native build; nothing states one",
      "People who need a published macOS requirement, since the site states none"
    ],
    "limitations": [
      "The last release is 0.7.3, published 3 January 2020; the repository's most recent push was July 2023, and it carries several hundred open issues",
      "Neither the site nor the repository states a minimum macOS version",
      "Nothing states whether a native Apple Silicon build exists; 0.7.3 predates Apple Silicon entirely",
      "The repository's LICENSE path is a directory of per-component licence texts rather than a single file, which is why GitHub reports no licence for the repo",
      "Written in Objective-C with Xcode project files and CocoaPods dependencies, so building it from source now needs an old toolchain"
    ],
    "firstUse": {
      "installation": {
        "value": "Download MacDown.app.zip from the GitHub releases page or the project site, unzip it and move MacDown into Applications. It is not notarised as a modern release would be, so Gatekeeper may object.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "firstLaunch": {
        "value": "It opens with the source on one side and a live preview of the rendered Markdown on the other. Preferences control how the Markdown is rendered.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "systemIntegration": {
        "value": "A self-contained native editor that works on files on disk; it does not need an account or a cloud service.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "appleSilicon": {
        "value": null,
        "status": "unknown",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    },
    "updates": [
      {
        "version": "0.7.3",
        "date": "2020-01-03",
        "summary": "Last release published. The repository received commits until July 2023 but has had no release since.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "question": "Is MacDown free?",
        "answer": "Yes. It is open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier, account or licence key.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Is MacDown still maintained?",
        "answer": "No, not in any practical sense. The last release is 0.7.3 from 3 January 2020, the repository's most recent push was in July 2023, and it carries several hundred open issues.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Which macOS version does MacDown need?",
        "answer": "Not stated. Neither the project site nor the repository publishes a minimum macOS version, so none is recorded here.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Does MacDown run on Apple Silicon?",
        "answer": "Not stated, and 0.7.3 predates Apple Silicon by years. Nothing in the project says a native build exists, so Nuanyue records it as unknown — it would run under Rosetta 2, but that is not confirmed by the vendor.",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Why does GitHub say MacDown has no licence?",
        "answer": "Because the repository's LICENSE path is a directory, not a file — it holds the MIT text for MacDown alongside the licence texts of its bundled components. GitHub's detector only reads a LICENSE file, so it reports nothing. The README states plainly that MacDown is released under the MIT License.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "What licence is MacDown under?",
        "answer": "MIT. The README states 'MacDown is released under the terms of MIT License', with the full text inside the LICENSE directory of the repository.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "relationships": [
      {
        "target": "typora",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both are Markdown editors for macOS with live preview and export, but Typora is a maintained paid app while MacDown is free, open source and unmaintained since 2020.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "fsnotes",
        "type": "complements",
        "reason": "MacDown edits one Markdown file with a live preview while FSNotes manages a folder of them; both work on plain files on disk rather than a database.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "obsidian",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both edit Markdown on macOS, but Obsidian is an actively developed note system with plugins where MacDown is a single-purpose editor that stopped receiving releases in 2020.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "sources": [
      {
        "id": "macdown:official",
        "type": "official_website",
        "url": "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/",
        "title": "MacDown — official website",
        "trustLevel": "B",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "macdown:developer",
        "type": "developer",
        "url": "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/",
        "title": "uranusjr — developer website",
        "trustLevel": "B",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "macdown:documentation",
        "type": "documentation",
        "url": "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/features/",
        "title": "MacDown — documentation",
        "trustLevel": "C",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "macdown:repository",
        "type": "github",
        "url": "https://github.com/MacDownApp/macdown",
        "title": "MacDown — source repository",
        "trustLevel": "D",
        "accessedAt": null
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.isA",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "isA",
        "value": "Markdown editor",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.supportsPlatform",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "supportsPlatform",
        "value": [
          "macOS"
        ],
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.officialWebsite",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "officialWebsite",
        "value": "https://macdown.uranusjr.com/",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.listedInCategory",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "listedInCategory",
        "value": [
          "productivity"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.pricingModel",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "pricingModel",
        "value": "Open source",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.developedBy",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "developedBy",
        "value": "uranusjr",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:developer",
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.ownership",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "ownership",
        "value": "Third-party product — not published by Nuanyue",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.isOpenSource",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "isOpenSource",
        "value": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:repository",
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.licensedUnder",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "licensedUnder",
        "value": "MIT",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:repository",
          "macdown:documentation",
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.currentVersion",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "currentVersion",
        "value": "0.7.3",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.hasFeature",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "hasFeature",
        "value": [
          "Live preview of the rendered Markdown beside the source",
          "Highly customisable Markdown rendering",
          "Syntax highlighting inside fenced code blocks",
          "Sophisticated auto-completion",
          "Export to HTML and PDF alongside editing",
          "MIT licensed, with the full text in the repository's LICENSE directory",
          "Written in Objective-C as a native Mac application rather than an Electron shell"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.usedFor",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "usedFor",
        "value": [
          "Writing Markdown on a Mac with a live preview beside the text",
          "Producing an HTML or PDF file from a Markdown source without a build step",
          "Drafting documents with fenced code blocks that need syntax highlighting"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.audienceFor",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "audienceFor",
        "value": [
          "Anyone who wants a free, native Markdown editor with a live preview",
          "Users who remember Mou and want the editor written to replace it",
          "People comfortable running an application that will not be updated again"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.audienceNotFor",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "audienceNotFor",
        "value": [
          "Anyone who needs a maintained editor — the last release was January 2020",
          "Users on Apple Silicon who need a confirmed native build; nothing states one",
          "People who need a published macOS requirement, since the site states none"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.limitation",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "limitation",
        "value": [
          "The last release is 0.7.3, published 3 January 2020; the repository's most recent push was July 2023, and it carries several hundred open issues",
          "Neither the site nor the repository states a minimum macOS version",
          "Nothing states whether a native Apple Silicon build exists; 0.7.3 predates Apple Silicon entirely",
          "The repository's LICENSE path is a directory of per-component licence texts rather than a single file, which is why GitHub reports no licence for the repo",
          "Written in Objective-C with Xcode project files and CocoaPods dependencies, so building it from source now needs an old toolchain"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.advantage.0",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier or account.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.advantage.1",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Live preview of the rendered Markdown beside the source, which is the feature people came to Mou for.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.advantage.2",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Highly customisable Markdown rendering rather than a fixed pipeline.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.advantage.3",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Syntax highlighting in fenced code blocks and sophisticated auto-completion.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.drawback.0",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "No release since 0.7.3 in January 2020, and no repository activity since July 2023.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.drawback.1",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "Several hundred open issues with no maintainer activity to close them.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:repository"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.drawback.2",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "No macOS requirement is published anywhere on the site or in the repository.",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
          "macdown:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:macdown.drawback.3",
        "subject": "software:macdown",
        "predicate": "drawback",
        "value": "0.7.3 predates Apple Silicon by years, and nothing states a native build for it.",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      }
    ],
    "lastUpdated": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z",
    "lastReviewedAt": null
  }
}