Writing, notes & markdown
Long-form writing apps, markdown editors and note systems. Your words shouldn't be held hostage by a lapsed card.
Category: Writing
- Design, graphics & illustration15
- Developer & terminal tools15
- Documents, PDF & office13
- Email, calendar & tasks15
- Files, disk & backup14
- Launchers, clipboard & automation12
- Menu bar & system utilities12
- Privacy, security & networking13
- Screenshots, recording & annotation15
- Video, audio & media14
- Window management & desktop control14
- Writing, notes & markdown14
Licence
- PerpetualUpdates included, forever35
- This versionThe next major is a new purchase47
- Paid upgradesMajor versions cost again25
- Lifetime tierA one-time plan of a subscription app14
- FreewareNothing to buy9
- Open sourceNothing to buy; source published36
Each mark reads left to right: this major version, the next, the one after. Filled is included, half is a paid upgrade, hollow is bought again.
Price
11 apps priced in £ or € sit outside these bands, because we don’t convert currencies.
 AgendaMomenta B.V. | $34.99Lifetime tier | The one-time unlock covers today's features plus one year of new ones, not everything after that |
 BikeHog Bay Software | $30Paid upgrades | Only the direct licence is perpetual; the Mac App Store version is a subscription that stops working |
 DEVONthink 4DEVONtechnologies | $99Paid upgrades | Updates stop after a year unless you pay to extend; the version you have keeps working forever |
 iA WriterInformation Architects GmbH | $49.99This version | Each platform is a separate purchase, and major versions may cost extra |
 Marked 3Brett Terpstra | $69.99Lifetime tier | The $69.99 permanent unlock is introductory pricing and returns to $89.99 later |
 MarkEditMarkEdit-app | FreeOpen source | None found |
 MarsEdit 5Red Sweater Software | $59.95Paid upgrades | Major versions are a separate paid upgrade, at about half price for existing owners |
 ObsidianObsidian | FreeFreeware | Multi-device sync is $48 a year unless you wire up iCloud or git yourself |
 ScappleLiterature & Latte | $20.99This version | A future Scapple 2 would be a separate purchase, as with Scrivener |
 Scrivener 3Literature & Latte | $59.99This version | Scrivener 4 will be a new purchase, at a discount for owners of 3 |
 TinderboxEastgate Systems | $289Paid upgrades | A year of upgrades is included, then a new version costs $98 or $83 a year to stay current |
 TotThe Iconfactory | $19.99Perpetual | The iPhone and iPad app is a separate purchase from the Mac unlock |
 TyporaTypora | $14.99This version | A major version jump like 1.x to 2.x can require paying again |
 ZettlrHendrik Erz | FreeOpen source | Export beyond HTML needs Pandoc, and PDF needs a LaTeX install on top |