Downright and MacDown are both open-source Mac Markdown projects. They serve different moments: MacDown is a compact editor and preview pair, while Downright is built around a native document surface that also reviews external changes.
Choose Downright if…
- You want one adaptive surface for reading, editing, and Source Focus.
- You want Quick Look, Finder thumbnails, Spotlight metadata, and a terminal command.
- You review Markdown rewritten by Claude Code, Codex, scripts, or other tools.
- You want a current native AppKit/TextKit 2 project with a source-preserving renderer.
Choose MacDown if…
- You want a small, familiar split editor and preview workflow.
- You prefer the MacDown project and its established Markdown editing model.
The practical difference
Both projects are file-first and open source. Downright puts more weight on system integration and live review of external writes; MacDown stays a straightforward editor and preview application.
Reviewed/tested August 16, 2026. Primary references: the MacDown repository and the full editor comparison. Verify current release behavior with the linked project before making a final switch.