OpenMark vs Cogito

Two native Mac markdown editors — which one fits your workflow?

OpenMark and Cogito are both native macOS markdown editors — no Electron, no web views. Both work with plain .md files on disk. OpenMark is a Universal Purchase that runs on Mac, iPhone, and iPad with writing modes and full export options. Cogito adds wiki links, Obsidian-style embeds, and Typefully integration for social publishing.

Feature comparison

Feature
OpenMark
Cogito
Primary use case
Open, read, and edit any .md file with live rendered preview
Read and write markdown with wiki links, embeds, and social publishing
Platform
Mac, iPhone, and iPad — Universal Purchase
Mac only
Pricing
$9.99 one-time — Mac, iPhone, and iPad included
Free during beta — final pricing TBD
Technology
Native SwiftUI — ~8 MB app size
Native macOS — no Electron or web views
Mermaid diagrams
Built-in via bundled Mermaid.js
Supported
LaTeX math
Built-in via bundled KaTeX
Math notation supported
Wiki links & embeds
Not supported — standard Markdown links only
Wiki links with live resolution, Obsidian-style embeds
Social publishing
Not supported
Typefully integration — publish to X and LinkedIn from your notes
macOS integration
Spotlight indexing, Quick Look, Shortcuts, Share Sheet, Apple Intelligence
Quick Open search, custom folder icons, drag-and-drop media
iOS & iPad
Full native app — same features on iPhone and iPad
Not available — Mac only
Export
PDF, HTML, and Word export
PDF export
Writing modes
Focus, Typewriter, and Zen modes for distraction-free writing
Dimmed syntax highlighting for clean prose

Which one should you choose?

Choose OpenMark if…

  • You want one app across Mac, iPhone, and iPad with a single purchase
  • You need to export to PDF, HTML, and Word — not just PDF
  • You want writing modes like Focus, Typewriter, and Zen for distraction-free work
  • You need deep macOS integration — Spotlight, Quick Look, Shortcuts, Share Sheet
  • You want a shipping product with stable pricing — not a beta

Choose Cogito if…

  • You use wiki links and Obsidian-style embeds to connect your notes
  • You publish to X or LinkedIn and want Typefully integration built in
  • You only work on Mac and don't need iPhone or iPad support
  • You want to try it for free while it's in beta

Try OpenMark — $9.99, one-time

Native macOS, iPhone, and iPad. Mermaid diagrams. LaTeX math. No subscription.

Download on the Mac App Store

Also compare OpenMark with:

vs Obsidian →vs VS Code →vs Typora →vs iA Writer →vs Bear →vs MacDown →vs Ulysses →vs MarkEdit →vs Mark Text →