## Comparison
ShowMeMyMD vs iA Writer
Do you need a $50 writing app? iA Writer is a premium writing environment. ShowMeMyMD is a lightweight viewer. Different tools for different jobs.
## What iA Writer does well
iA Writer is genuinely a great writing app
iA Writer has earned its reputation. It’s a beautifully crafted, distraction-free writing environment designed for people who write seriously in Markdown.
- >Distraction-free writing with a custom monospace font
- >Focus mode that dims everything except the active sentence
- >Built-in style checker to tighten your prose
- >iCloud and Dropbox sync across all your devices
- >Cross-platform — Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android
- >Content blocks for embedding files within documents
- >Direct publishing to WordPress and Medium
## What ShowMeMyMD does well
ShowMeMyMD is built for reading Markdown
ShowMeMyMD takes a different approach. Instead of being a writing environment, it’s a fast, native viewer optimized for opening and reading .md files.
- >Instant preview of any .md file — just double-click
- >Three modes: Code, Preview, and Split view
- >Copy rendered Markdown as rich text with one click
- >Syntax highlighting for 20+ programming languages
- >4 built-in themes to match your preference
- >GitHub-style callouts (note, tip, warning, caution)
- >Table of contents generation
- >Native SwiftUI performance on Apple Silicon
## Side by side
The key differences
| ShowMeMyMD | iA Writer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $49.99 |
| Purpose | Viewer + light editor | Full writing environment |
| Copy as Rich Text | Built-in | Not available |
| Syntax Highlighting | 20+ languages | Limited |
| Themes | 4 built-in | 1 (light/dark) |
| GitHub Callouts | Supported | Not supported |
| Cross-Platform | macOS only | Mac, iOS, Windows, Android |
| Publishing | No | WordPress, Medium |
| Focus Mode | No | Yes |
## Choose iA Writer if...
iA Writer is worth it when writing is your craft
iA Writer is a premium tool for a reason. If writing is central to your work, the investment makes sense.
- >You write long-form Markdown daily — books, articles, documentation
- >You need cross-platform sync between Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android
- >You want direct publishing to WordPress or Medium
- >You use focus mode to stay in flow while writing
## Choose ShowMeMyMD if...
ShowMeMyMD is built for reading, not writing
If you mostly open .md files to read or preview them, you don’t need a $50 writing app.
- >You mostly read and preview Markdown — READMEs, docs, notes
- >You need to copy rendered Markdown as rich text for emails or Slack
- >You want a fast native viewer for $2.99 instead of $50
- >You work primarily on macOS and don't need cross-platform
## Learn more
Learn more about why ShowMeMyMD is the best Markdown viewer for Mac, check out pricing details, or see how it compares to other Markdown editors for Mac.
Just need to read your Markdown?
$2.99. One-time purchase. No subscription. No $50 writing app required.
Download on theMac App Store