# Coffee: full description

Coffee is a native Markdown editor and notes app for the Mac. It needs macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel. Notes are ordinary .md files in a folder the user chooses, so any other editor can open them and leaving is free.

Home page: https://coffeetext.app/
Download: https://coffeetext.app/download/Coffee.dmg

Sold by Pedro Thomaz, Portugal. Last updated 14 November 2026.
Short index with links: https://coffeetext.app/llms.txt

## In one sentence

Coffee is a paid native macOS Markdown editor that keeps notes as plain .md files on the Mac, shows calculations beside the text, and lets you review AI edits change by change.

## Quick facts

- What: a native Markdown editor and notes app for the Mac, with an app for iPhone and iPad.
- Requires: macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel; iOS 18 or later on iPhone and iPad. Ask also needs macOS 26 or iOS 26, and Apple Intelligence.
- Price: 14 days free with no card or account, then €3 a month, €29 a year, or €79 once with two years of updates. One purchase unlocks the Mac, iPhone and iPad. The iPhone app is free on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6834043446
- Files: ordinary .md files in a folder the user chooses. Private notes are the exception: encrypted on disk, and only Coffee can open them.
- Sync: none of its own. The folder can live in iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, Synology Drive, Nextcloud, pCloud or another synced folder, through that service's own Mac app. Settings > Library offers each drive Coffee finds, and moving keeps each note's version history and comments. Coffee doesn't connect to those services' websites. Coffee for iPhone and iPad opens the same files when the folder is in iCloud Drive, and pins and sort order are shared.
- Not included: real-time editing by several people, LaTeX export, CSS themes, and apps for Windows, Android or the web. The iPhone and iPad app has no plugins, MCP, AI edit review, Git proposals, query blocks, slides, version history or private notes; those are on the Mac. The plugin directory is small, with five plugins so far.

## Who it suits

- People who write in Markdown and want a fast, focused Mac app.
- People who edit Markdown with AI tools such as Claude or Cursor and want to review what changed.
- Teams who keep documents in Git, including people on them who don't use Git.

## Who it doesn't suit

- Anyone needing Windows, Linux or Android. Coffee is on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- Anyone wanting a database or project-management workspace. Coffee is for writing documents. Query blocks list notes by their properties as a table or a board, but they only read, with no editing from the view, formulas or relations.
- Anyone needing several people to edit one note at the same time. Coffee doesn't do this today.

## Pricing

All prices in euros. Every plan includes every feature.

- Free trial: 14 days, no card and no account.
- Monthly: €3 a month.
- Yearly: €29 a year.
- Buy once: €79. Keep it with no end date, including two years of updates. After that it keeps working as it is, and another year of updates costs €29.
- Company packs, per year: 25 people €625, 50 people €1,150, 100 people €2,000. Larger teams ask for a quote.

All sales are final, as Coffee is free for 14 days before paying.

If a subscription is cancelled, the user can still open, read and export every note. Editing in Coffee stops when the paid period ends. The files stay theirs.

## Writing

- Three views: pretty, code, and split, where you can type on either side and both update.
- Each file opened from Finder gets its own window. Moving between notes stays in the same window.
- One button in Settings makes Coffee the default app for Markdown and text files.
- Focus and typewriter modes, and an outline of small marks in the margin.
- Move whole sections by dragging a heading in the outline.
- Check document finds broken links, missing images and skipped headings, and can fix them.
- Paste converts spreadsheet cells into a table and keeps a web page's headings, lists and links.
- Quick capture adds a thought to Inbox.md from any app. It is off until turned on.
- Share > Coffee, in Safari, Notes, Mail and other apps with a Share menu: a title, then New Note or Inbox. A page becomes a Markdown link with any text the app shares quoted under it; text alone becomes the note. Inbox adds one line to Inbox.md without bringing Coffee forward. It saves what the app shares, not the whole page. The extension has no file or network access and hands the clipping to Coffee as a coffee:// link.
- Templates are .md files in a folder, with the date filled in.
- Calendar and Reminders: in a template, {{agenda}} becomes the day's calendar events (all-day ones first) and {{reminders}} the open reminders due by the end of the day, as tasks, with overdue ones marked. The Daily note template has both; templates made earlier need them added. The Mac asks for access the first time; without it they stay empty. Note > Insert Today's Agenda puts the same at the cursor. Note > Send Task to Reminders (⌃⌘R) makes the - [ ] task on the cursor's line a reminder in the default list, due when the line names a date. Nothing is linked back: ticking a task in the note doesn't complete the reminder.
- Optional keyboard sounds recorded from Cherry MX Red, Brown and Blue switches, off by default.
- Calculations in notes, written in plain words: 20% of 50, price = $8 times 5, 5 km in miles, 100 C in F, $30 in BTC, Tokyo time, 2:30 pm HKT in Berlin, today + 2 weeks, sqrt 16, 255 in hex, sum and average. Also 20 is what % of 200, half of 175, 37 to nearest 10, average of 36, 42 and 19, 3 days ago, workdays until 24 Dec, 3h 5m + 45 min and €40/hour * 7.5 hours. The answer appears beside the line and never enters the file.
- More sums: a line starting with an operator carries on from the answer above (+ 20%, × 2); names of two or three words (hourly rate = $80); subtotal and grand total; lap times written h:mm:ss; loans and interest ($200,000 at 4% for 30 years is the monthly payment, and compound or simple interest shows what it grows to); dozen, rem, download time (2 GB at 100 Mbps) and fuel economy between mpg and L/100km; past exchange rates from the European Central Bank (€100 in USD on 1 Jan 2025); cooking (1 cup flour in grams); work hours between two dates; and total, average and count by #tag over lines written Label: amount #tag. Workdays skip public holidays in Portugal, the US, the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Brazil, by the region the device is set to. Numbers pasted in the other format (1.234,56) are changed to the note's.
- Calculating outside a note: coffee calc in Terminal, a calculate tool in Coffee's MCP server for AI apps, and Calculate with Coffee in Shortcuts on iPhone and iPad.
- Selecting numbers, even a table column, shows their sum. Holding ⌥ and dragging a number tries other values.
- Maths: a block of TeX between two $$ lines (or $$ … $$ on one line) is drawn as a formula under the block, natively, in the editor and in PDF, print, HTML, Word and EPUB. It covers everyday TeX: Greek, operators, scripts, fractions, roots, sums and integrals with limits, \left and \right, accents, \text, \mathbb, matrices and cases. Anything it can't read stays as TeX. Inline $…$ inside a sentence is drawn in place too, in the editor and in PDF, Word, EPUB, HTML and book exports. Chemistry is written with \ce{} (formulas, charges, states and reaction arrows), and \tag{1} numbers a display equation; numbers are only ever written by hand. A formula that can't be drawn shows a plain hint with the line number.
- Diagrams: Mermaid flowcharts, pie charts, sequence diagrams, gantt charts, class diagrams and state diagrams are drawn natively under their code block. Other Mermaid kinds, such as entity relationship diagrams and mind maps, stay as code. A diagram that can't be drawn shows a plain hint with the line number.
- Code blocks are coloured by the language named on the fence, about 30 of them: Swift, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, JSON, HTML and XML, CSS and SCSS, shell, SQL, Go, Rust, Ruby, Java, Kotlin, C, C++, Objective-C, C#, PHP, YAML, TOML, INI, Markdown, diff, Dockerfile, Lua and R. Line numbers in code (Settings, off by default) are drawn in the margin and never go into the file or its exports.
- Links to headings and to other notes open inside Coffee: [[Note#Heading]], [[#Heading]], [text](#heading), [text](other.md) and [text](other.md#part).
- A line with only [TOC] shows the note's headings under it, kept current, and a click goes to one. The file keeps the line as written.
- Pictures: a path starting with / is read from the top of the library, as in Obsidian (/img/x.png). Sizes written ![alt|300](x.png), ![[x.png|300]] or <img width="300"> are drawn at that size, never wider than the column, and HTML and PDF exports keep it.
- Lists change between bullets, numbers and tasks (Format menu, ⌥⌘8, ⌥⌘7 and ⌥⌘9 on the Mac; the list buttons on iPhone and iPad).
- Tables of any size (/table 3x4 on the Mac, a menu of sizes on iPhone and iPad), and table columns moved (⌃⌘← and ⌃⌘→ on the Mac), inserted and deleted.
- Emoji shortcodes: a colon and two letters offers a list, and a whole :tada: followed by a space becomes 🎉. The file stores the emoji.
- Callouts (GitHub's five alert types) and footnotes are drawn in the editor and carried into exports.
- Autocorrect is off by default and can be turned on in Settings.
- A soft light at the caret as you type, which can be turned off.
- Themes: five built in (Coffee, Espresso, Matcha, Midnight, Paper), or your own made by choosing a hex colour for each part of the app. A theme is shared as one line of text: Copy to Share, then Paste Theme in Settings. A theme other than Coffee sets light or dark itself; Coffee follows the Light, Dark, System or Schedule appearance setting.
- Font: the built-in choices, or Other for any font family installed on the Mac.
- Word goals: Note > Word Goal… sets a target, stored as `goal:` in front matter, and the line under the title shows progress.
- Present as Slides (View menu, ⌥⌘P): the note full screen, one slide at a time, split at each `---` line, with formulas, diagrams and pictures. Space or the arrows move, Esc ends.
- Mind Map (Note > Mind Map…): the note's headings and list items as a tree of branches. Clicking a branch goes to that line.
- Window > Float on Top keeps a note above other apps.
- Plugins: small JavaScript plugins that run on the Mac, each off until turned on in Settings > Plugins. They can add top bar buttons, commands in a Plugins menu and the command palette with their own shortcuts, sidebar sections, marks in the text, code blocks drawn as pictures, and a settings page. Permissions are shown in plain words before a plugin is turned on: read other notes, change other notes, connect to a named host. Settings > Plugins > Browse Plugins lists a directory reviewed by Coffee; install is one click, each version is pinned by a SHA-256 hash, and updates install by themselves unless a new version asks for more permissions. Directory plugins are free. List: https://coffeetext.app/plugins. API: https://coffeetext.app/plugins/guide
- Canvas: File > New Canvas… and Open Canvas… show a board of cards and arrows in its own window, saved as a .canvas file in the open JSON Canvas format, the same files Obsidian makes. Cards are text (Markdown), notes from the library (double-click opens the note), links and groups, in six preset colours. Arrows are drawn by dragging a card's edge dot onto another card, and can have labels. Box selection, nudging with the arrow keys, ⌘A, ⌘D, Delete and ⌘Z; scroll to move, ⌘-scroll or pinch to zoom. Changes save a moment later. Fields and cards Coffee doesn't use are kept; a file it can't read is shown empty and never written over; a file changed elsewhere while there are unsaved changes keeps that version, and Coffee's is saved beside it with "(Coffee)" in the name. Obsidian's media, web page and base cards aren't drawn.
- A `coffee` command for Terminal: coffee new, coffee add (to Inbox.md), coffee today, coffee open, coffee search, coffee list, coffee path, and coffee file.md to open a file. Settings has a Terminal command row that copies the one-time setup line.

## Finding things

- Search by pressing ⌘K. It answers as you type, accent-insensitively. In our tests it took about 14 milliseconds across 5,000 notes.
- Folders in the sidebar as they are on disk, with pinned notes and each folder sorted by date modified, title or date created. The arrangement is kept in `.coffee/layout.json` in the notes folder. Settings > Sidebar when Coffee opens chooses as it was left, open or closed.
- Folders from anywhere, external disks included, can be added to the sidebar, and join search, links and tags.
- Tags: #tags in the text, nested ones like #work/acme, and tags in front matter.
- A graph of how notes link (⌥⌘G), around one note or across the library.
- Query blocks: a ```query fenced block lists notes under it as a table or a board of cards. Lines: from: (#tag including nested tags, a folder, or all), where: (=, !=, <, >, <=, >=, contains, joined with and), show:, sort: (desc), limit: (200 by default), view: table or board, group:. Fields are front matter properties plus title, folder, tags and modified. Numbers compare as numbers and year-first dates in order. Clicking a row or card opens the note. Private notes are left out. The file keeps only the query, so other editors and exports show a code block.
- Replace in All Notes (⌥⇧⌘F): find text or a regular expression in every note, see each match with what it becomes, leave any out, and undo the whole replace. Private notes are never searched or changed.
- Ask: questions about your notes by pressing ⌘J, or by holding Fn and talking. The model and dictation run on the Mac. Ask needs macOS 26 and Apple Intelligence on that Mac.

## Reviewing and working with Git

- See what changed: when an AI tool or anything else edits a note's file outside Coffee, such as a Git pull or a synced folder, each change is shown and can be kept or undone one at a time.
- Propose change: send one note to a new Git branch and open a pull request without using Git directly, leaving the working tree alone.
- Comments on any selected words.
- Connect AI apps: an MCP server lets Claude and other apps read and write notes. It is off until turned on.

## Keeping things safe

- Version history for every note, with undoable restores. Each version says what changed against the one before, versions can be named, and named ones are kept. Changes since shows what was added and removed since any version.
- Private notes, locked with Touch ID, encrypted on disk, and hidden from search and AI.
- Clipboard history, searchable and encrypted on the Mac. Password managers' items are never kept.

## Import

Opening or dropping a Word document (.docx or .doc), RTF or ODT file makes a new Markdown note from it, with headings, lists, tables, links and pictures. The original isn't changed, and Coffee doesn't save back to it. Comments and page layout don't come across, and tracked changes come in as accepted. Password-protected documents and Pages files can't be imported.

## Export

PDF with letterhead, title pages and page numbers, plus Word (.docx), EPUB, HTML, Markdown and plain text. Word files have real headings, lists, tables, links and pictures. EPUB comes from one note, or as a book from a folder or a tag, with one chapter per note. Export > Image saves the whole note as one tall PNG. There's no LaTeX export, and Coffee doesn't use Pandoc.

## Privacy

Coffee keeps notes on the Mac and doesn't store them on a server. Search and Ask are local. The exceptions are things the user chooses: a proposed change goes to the user's own repository, connected AI apps can read the notes they are allowed to, images linked from the web load from their sites unless turned off, a note that converts a currency fetches exchange rates from Coinbase, a request that says nothing about the note, and a sum asking for a past day's rate fetches the European Central Bank's rates for that day through the public Frankfurter service, a request that carries only the date. Subscribing needs an email address and payment goes through Stripe. A plugin can connect to a host only if it names that host and the user turns it on. Coffee also checks for new versions once a day, which sends its version number and the macOS major version (such as macOS 26), and no account details.

## Offline

Everything you write works offline. Proposing a change needs a connection, and currency sums use the last saved rates until Coffee can fetch new ones. Coffee checks a subscription when it can and keeps working for weeks without a connection.

## Questions

### What is Coffee?

A Markdown editor and notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad, built natively for each. You write in plain .md files that stay in a folder you choose, and you can see the finished page, the code, or both side by side.

### How much does it cost?

€3 a month or €29 a year, after 14 days free with no card. You can also pay €79 once and keep it, with two years of updates. Packs for companies start at €625 a year for 25 people.

### What do I need to run it?

A Mac with macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel, or an iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or later. Coffee needs no account to start. Ask also needs macOS 26 or iOS 26, and Apple Intelligence.

### Can Coffee open my .md files by default?

Yes. One button in Settings makes Coffee the default app for Markdown and text files, so double-clicking one in Finder opens it in its own window.

### Can Coffee open Word documents?

It imports them. Open or drop a .docx, .doc, .rtf or .odt file and Coffee makes a new Markdown note from it, with headings, lists, tables, links and pictures. The original isn't changed. Comments and page layout don't come across, tracked changes come in as accepted, and Coffee can also export a note back to Word. It doesn't open Pages files.

### Can Coffee open Obsidian canvases?

Yes. Coffee opens and makes .canvas files in the open JSON Canvas format, the one Obsidian uses, with text, note, link and group cards and arrows between them. Cards it doesn't draw, such as pictures, are kept in the file.

### What can Coffee calculate?

Write it in plain words in any note and the answer appears beside the line, without going into your file: sums, percentages, currencies and crypto, time zones, dates, units and more. Try $30 in EUR, Tokyo time or 20% of 50.

### Where do my notes live?

In a folder you choose, as ordinary Markdown files. It can be on your Mac, or in iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or another drive whose Mac app you use. Coffee doesn't keep them on a server, and any other editor can open them.

### Do my notes sync between my Mac and iPhone?

Through iCloud Drive. Keep your notes folder there, and Coffee on your Mac, iPhone and iPad opens the same files. Coffee has no sync server of its own, so your notes never pass through us. Pins and sort order come along too.

### Do I pay again for the iPhone?

No. One purchase unlocks Coffee on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. Sign in with the same email on each. The iPhone app is free to download and has the same 14 days free.

### What happens if I cancel?

You can still open, read and export every note in Coffee, and the files are yours either way. Editing in Coffee stops when your paid period ends.

### What do I get if I buy it once?

Coffee is yours to keep, with two years of updates. After that it keeps working as it is, and another year of updates is €29 if you want it. If you already subscribe, buying once stops your subscription renewing.

### How do company packs work?

Buy a pack, then add people by email on your team page. They download Coffee and sign in with that address. When someone leaves, remove them and give their seat to someone else. To change size, use Billing on the team page.

### Is there a student discount?

Yes. Students and teachers get 30% off: enter your school email on the students page and we send you a code for checkout.

### Can I get a refund?

All sales are final, because Coffee is free for 14 days before you pay, with no card. Use that time to make sure it's right for you. You can cancel a subscription at any time.

### Do I need an account for the trial?

No. Download it and start writing. You only need an email address when you subscribe.

### Does anything I write get sent anywhere?

Only what you choose to send. Search and Ask run on your Mac. A change you propose goes to your own repository. Images linked from the web load from their sites, unless you turn that off. If you connect an AI app yourself, that app can read the notes you allow. A plugin can connect to a site only if it names it and you turn it on. Calendar and Reminders are read on your Mac, only when a note asks for them.

### Does Coffee work offline?

Yes. Everything you write works offline. Proposing a change needs a connection, and currency sums use the last saved rates until Coffee can fetch new ones. It checks your subscription when it can, and keeps working for weeks without a connection.

### Is there a Windows or Android version?

Not today. Coffee is on Mac, iPhone and iPad.

### How does Coffee compare with Obsidian, Typora or iA Writer?

Obsidian has thousands of plugins and every platform, Typora a low one-time price, and iA Writer stronger tools for prose. Coffee is on Mac, iPhone and iPad only, and adds AI edit review and sums in your notes. Read the comparisons with Obsidian, Typora and iA Writer, or the Mac editors by who they suit.

### Who makes Coffee?

Pedro Thomaz, in Portugal. Write to ola@pedrothomaz.pt and a person will answer.

## Articles

Blog: https://coffeetext.app/blog

### AI and your notes

- [How to review what Claude or Cursor changed in your Markdown files](https://coffeetext.app/blog/review-claude-cursor-markdown-changes) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/review-claude-cursor-markdown-changes.md)): Word-level diffs with Git, the tools' own rewind, and keeping or undoing each change in Coffee.
- [How to stop Claude and Cursor from wrecking your notes](https://coffeetext.app/blog/keep-ai-from-wrecking-notes) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/keep-ai-from-wrecking-notes.md)): Git, working on a copy, permission settings and rewind, and what each one fails to catch.
- [Why AI tools work so well with Markdown files](https://coffeetext.app/blog/why-ai-tools-work-with-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/why-ai-tools-work-with-markdown.md)): Plain text, visible structure and readable diffs, plus the places Markdown doesn't help.
- [Editing a CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md without losing track of changes](https://coffeetext.app/blog/editing-claude-md-agents-md) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/editing-claude-md-agents-md.md)): Which file loads when, how to see who changed what, and where Claude's own notes really go.
- [How to undo one AI edit and keep the rest](https://coffeetext.app/blog/undo-one-ai-edit) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/undo-one-ai-edit.md)): Git hunks, per-change review in Claude Code and Cursor, and Coffee's Keep and Undo.
- [Asking questions about your notes with Apple Intelligence](https://coffeetext.app/blog/apple-intelligence-ask-your-notes) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/apple-intelligence-ask-your-notes.md)): What Coffee's Ask reads and needs, its real limits, and what Apple's own features offer.
- [How to connect your notes to AI tools with MCP](https://coffeetext.app/blog/connect-notes-to-ai-mcp) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/connect-notes-to-ai-mcp.md)): What MCP is, the setup in Claude, Cursor and Claude Code, and exactly what Coffee exposes.

### How Coffee compares

- [Markdown editors for Mac: subscription or one-time purchase?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-editors-mac-subscription-vs-one-time) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-editors-mac-subscription-vs-one-time.md)): What Obsidian, Typora, iA Writer, Bear, Ulysses and Coffee charge, and when each model makes sense.
- [A Markdown editor for Mac that keeps plain local files, with no database](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-editor-mac-plain-local-files) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-editor-mac-plain-local-files.md)): Which editors work on real files, a five-minute test for any app, and what Coffee keeps elsewhere.
- [Coffee vs Obsidian: which Markdown app for your Mac?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-obsidian) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-obsidian.md)): Obsidian has the plugins, the platforms and the free price. What Coffee does differently, and how to choose.
- [Coffee vs Typora: two Markdown editors for the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-typora) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-typora.md)): Typora wins on price, platforms, themes and export range. What Coffee adds, and how to choose.
- [Coffee vs iA Writer: which writing app for your Mac?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-ia-writer) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-ia-writer.md)): iA Writer is stronger for prose, and runs on Windows. What Coffee does instead, and how to choose.
- [Coffee vs Bear: which Markdown notes app for your Mac?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-bear) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-bear.md)): Bear has the sync and the free tier. Coffee has plain files. What each does, and how to choose.
- [Coffee vs Ulysses: which writing app for your Mac?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-ulysses) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-ulysses.md)): Ulysses is built for writers with long projects. Coffee is for working documents in plain files. How to choose.
- [Coffee vs Apple Notes: when is a Markdown editor worth paying for?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-apple-notes) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-apple-notes.md)): Apple Notes is free, on every device, and fine for most notes. When a paid Markdown editor makes sense.
- [Coffee vs Zettlr: which Markdown app for your Mac?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-zettlr) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-zettlr.md)): Zettlr has the citations, the export options and the free price. What Coffee does differently, and how to choose.
- [Coffee vs MacDown: is MacDown still maintained?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-macdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-macdown.md)): What MacDown's own repository shows, the free MacDown 3000 continuation, and how Coffee differs.
- [Coffee vs VS Code for writing Markdown on a Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-vs-code) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-vs-code.md)): VS Code is free and does a lot for Markdown. What Coffee does differently, and how to choose.
- [The best Markdown editors for Mac, by who they suit](https://coffeetext.app/blog/best-markdown-editors-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/best-markdown-editors-mac.md)): Eight Mac Markdown editors sorted by who each one suits, with no scores, written by the maker of one of them.
- [Free Markdown editors for Mac, and what each one costs you](https://coffeetext.app/blog/free-markdown-editors-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/free-markdown-editors-mac.md)): Eight free ways to write Markdown on a Mac, who each suits, and what's paid or missing in each.
- [TextEdit alternatives for writing on the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/textedit-alternatives-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/textedit-alternatives-mac.md)): TextEdit's strengths and snags, and a short list of alternatives for text, code and Markdown.
- [Obsidian alternatives for Mac, for people who like plain files](https://coffeetext.app/blog/obsidian-alternatives-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/obsidian-alternatives-mac.md)): Nine alternatives to Obsidian on a Mac, sorted by the reason you might be leaving, with where each keeps your notes.
- [Typora alternatives on the Mac, for writing in the formatted page](https://coffeetext.app/blog/typora-alternatives-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/typora-alternatives-mac.md)): Seven Mac alternatives to Typora, which of them format as you type, and which are free.
- [Coffee vs Craft: which documents app for your Mac?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-craft) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-craft.md)): Craft has the devices, the sharing and the free plan. Coffee has plain files. What each does, and how to choose.
- [Coffee vs Drafts: quick capture or a Markdown editor for your Mac?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-drafts) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-drafts.md)): Drafts is where text starts. Coffee is where documents live. What each does, how to choose, and how to use both.
- [Coffee vs Logseq: an outliner or a Markdown editor for your Mac?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-logseq) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/coffee-vs-logseq.md)): Logseq is free, open source and built on blocks. Coffee is built on documents. Where things stand with Logseq's two versions, and how to choose.

### Markdown how-tos

- [How to paste an Excel or Numbers table into Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/paste-excel-numbers-table-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/paste-excel-numbers-table-markdown.md)): A one-line Terminal command, what Markdown tables can't hold, and pasting directly in Coffee.
- [How to export Markdown to a good-looking PDF on the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-to-pdf-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-to-pdf-mac.md)): Margins, headers, page breaks, landscape, tables, maths and blank PDFs, with Pandoc, Print to PDF and editors.
- [A Markdown cheat sheet for the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-cheat-sheet-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-cheat-sheet-mac.md)): Standard and extended syntax side by side, plus Coffee's keyboard shortcuts.
- [Markdown tables without the pain](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-tables-guide) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-tables-guide.md)): The rules that matter, what breaks a table, and what to use when a table is the wrong shape.
- [Adding images to Markdown on a Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/images-in-markdown-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/images-in-markdown-mac.md)): The syntax, relative paths, where images should live, and what Coffee does with them.
- [Footnotes, task lists and other extended Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/extended-markdown-footnotes-task-lists) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/extended-markdown-footnotes-task-lists.md)): Where each extra comes from, how to write it, and what Coffee does and doesn't draw.
- [What front matter is and when you need it](https://coffeetext.app/blog/what-is-front-matter) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/what-is-front-matter.md)): What the block at the top of a Markdown file does, who reads it, and what Coffee does with it.
- [Markdown to HTML on the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-to-html-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-to-html-mac.md)): Pandoc, cmark, GitHub's API and editor exports, and an honest account of Coffee's.
- [Word or Google Docs to Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/word-google-docs-to-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/word-google-docs-to-markdown.md)): Google's own export, pandoc for Word files, pasting, and what to check afterwards.
- [How to open an .md file on a Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/open-md-files-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/open-md-files-mac.md)): What an .md file is, five ways to open one, and how to choose the app Finder uses.
- [Writing maths in Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/math-equations-in-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/math-equations-in-markdown.md)): Inline and block maths, the TeX worth knowing, where it renders, and what Coffee draws.
- [Mermaid diagrams in Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/mermaid-diagrams-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/mermaid-diagrams-markdown.md)): The mermaid code block, three diagram types with examples, where they render and how to export.
- [Turning Markdown into an EPUB e-book on the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-to-epub-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-to-epub-mac.md)): Pandoc's command, metadata and cover, checking the book, and Coffee's EPUB and Book exports.
- [A Markdown meeting notes template you can copy](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-meeting-notes-template) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-meeting-notes-template.md)): A copyable meeting notes template, why each part is there, and how Coffee's templates fill in the date.
- [A daily note template in Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/daily-note-template-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/daily-note-template-markdown.md)): A daily note template to copy, how to name the files by date, and Coffee's Today's Note, agenda and sums.
- [Present a Markdown note as slides on a Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/present-markdown-as-slides-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/present-markdown-as-slides-mac.md)): Presenting a note as slides split at each --- line, a mind map of its headings, and the whole note as one picture.

### Notes, files and sync

- [Moving from Apple Notes to plain Markdown files](https://coffeetext.app/blog/apple-notes-to-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/apple-notes-to-markdown.md)): Apple's own Markdown export, a free route for a whole library, and what to check afterwards.
- [Moving from Notion to Markdown files](https://coffeetext.app/blog/notion-to-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/notion-to-markdown.md)): Notion's Markdown and CSV export, step by step, with the limits its help describes.
- [Syncing Markdown notes with iCloud Drive, and what can go wrong](https://coffeetext.app/blog/sync-markdown-icloud-drive) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/sync-markdown-icloud-drive.md)): How to set it up, the problems you can actually meet, and what Coffee does about them.
- [How to fix conflicted copies in iCloud and Dropbox](https://coffeetext.app/blog/fix-conflicted-copies-icloud-dropbox) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/fix-conflicted-copies-icloud-dropbox.md)): What each service does, how to compare versions with free tools, and what Coffee adds.
- [Linking notes with [[wiki links]] without breaking them](https://coffeetext.app/blog/wiki-links-without-breaking) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/wiki-links-without-breaking.md)): How renames break links, how to repair them for free, and what Coffee rewrites, in detail.
- [Finding Markdown notes with Spotlight and Quick Look](https://coffeetext.app/blog/find-markdown-notes-spotlight-quick-look) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/find-markdown-notes-spotlight-quick-look.md)): Spotlight and Quick Look for Markdown notes, a simple test, and what Coffee's extension does.
- [Password-protecting notes on a Mac: your options compared](https://coffeetext.app/blog/password-protect-notes-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/password-protect-notes-mac.md)): Locked notes, disk images, FileVault and Coffee's private notes, and what you lose if you lose the key.
- [Proposing a change to a Git repository without learning Git](https://coffeetext.app/blog/propose-change-git-without-learning-git) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/propose-change-git-without-learning-git.md)): Branches and pull requests in plain words, GitHub's free editors, and what Coffee's Propose change needs.
- [How to find and replace across many Markdown files on a Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/find-replace-markdown-files-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/find-replace-markdown-files-mac.md)): Terminal one-liners, VS Code, BBEdit and Coffee's Replace in All Notes, and how to do it without losing work.
- [Version history for Markdown notes, without learning Git](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-version-history-without-git) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-version-history-without-git.md)): Time Machine, Browse All Versions, iCloud's recovery, Obsidian's snapshots and Coffee's history, compared plainly.
- [Folders or tags for your Markdown notes?](https://coffeetext.app/blog/folders-or-tags-markdown-notes) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/folders-or-tags-markdown-notes.md)): A few shallow folders, tags in front matter, pins for the notes you live in, and how Coffee shows all three.
- [Moving from Bear to plain Markdown files](https://coffeetext.app/blog/bear-to-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/bear-to-markdown.md)): Bear's own Markdown export, the tag setting to turn on first, and the Bear-only syntax to look for afterwards.
- [Moving from Evernote to Markdown files](https://coffeetext.app/blog/evernote-to-markdown) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/evernote-to-markdown.md)): Evernote's ENEX export, Yarle and Obsidian's Importer, and what to check about tags, stacks and attachments.
- [A graph view for your Markdown notes on a Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/graph-view-markdown-notes-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/graph-view-markdown-notes-mac.md)): What a graph of your notes is good for, how to get a useful one, and how Coffee draws it from plain Markdown files.
- [Markdown notes on an external drive, or in several folders](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-notes-external-drive-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-notes-external-drive-mac.md)): Notes on an external SSD, a work folder and a synced folder, together in one sidebar, and what happens when a drive is unplugged.
- [Nested tags for Markdown notes](https://coffeetext.app/blog/nested-tags-markdown-notes) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/nested-tags-markdown-notes.md)): How #tags and #work/acme style nested tags work in plain files, when nesting helps, and how Coffee shows them as a tree.
- [Plugins for a Markdown editor on the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-editor-plugins-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-editor-plugins-mac.md)): What Coffee plugins can do, how the reviewed directory and permissions work, and how to write one of your own.
- [Themes for a Markdown editor on the Mac, and making your own](https://coffeetext.app/blog/custom-themes-markdown-editor-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/custom-themes-markdown-editor-mac.md)): Coffee's five themes, making your own with a colour for each part of the app, and sharing one as a line of text.
- [Markdown notes in Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive on a Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-notes-google-drive-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/markdown-notes-google-drive-mac.md)): Keeping Markdown notes in Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive on a Mac, streaming versus mirroring, and how Coffee uses the folder.
- [A canvas for Markdown notes on the Mac, in Obsidian's format](https://coffeetext.app/blog/canvas-markdown-notes-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/canvas-markdown-notes-mac.md)): Boards of cards and arrows in the JSON Canvas format, the same .canvas files Obsidian makes, and what Coffee's canvas leaves out.
- [Query your Markdown notes as a table or a board](https://coffeetext.app/blog/query-markdown-notes-table-board) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/query-markdown-notes-table-board.md)): A query block that lists notes by tag, folder and front matter properties, as a table or a board, with examples to copy.
- [Calendar events and reminders in a Markdown daily note on a Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/calendar-reminders-daily-note-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/calendar-reminders-daily-note-mac.md)): The day's Calendar events and due reminders in a daily note, Insert Today's Agenda, and sending a task to Reminders.
- [Save a web page or text to a Markdown note from any Mac app](https://coffeetext.app/blog/save-to-markdown-share-menu-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/save-to-markdown-share-menu-mac.md)): Share > Coffee in Safari, Notes, Mail and other apps: a page's link or some text, saved as a new Markdown note or a line in your inbox.

### Sums in your notes

- [A calculator inside your notes on the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/calculator-in-notes-mac) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/calculator-in-notes-mac.md)): Math Notes, Soulver and Coffee, and what happens to your answers in each.
- [A monthly budget in plain text](https://coffeetext.app/blog/monthly-budget-plain-text) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/monthly-budget-plain-text.md)): A list of costs, a Total underneath, and when you should use a spreadsheet instead.
- [Currency, time zones and units inside your notes](https://coffeetext.app/blog/currency-time-zones-units-in-notes) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/currency-time-zones-units-in-notes.md)): Conversions that work inside a note, which ones need a connection, and how your region changes 1,234.
- [Adding up hours and rates in a plain-text timesheet](https://coffeetext.app/blog/timesheet-hours-plain-text) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/timesheet-hours-plain-text.md)): A sample week, totalling by hand or in a spreadsheet, and Coffee's durations and rates.
- [Soulver alternatives, and other calculator notes apps for the Mac](https://coffeetext.app/blog/soulver-alternatives-calculator-notes) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/soulver-alternatives-calculator-notes.md)): Soulver described fairly, then Numi, Calca, Apple's Math Notes and Coffee, with prices and where your sums are kept.
- [Soulver alternative for Mac and iPhone: sums in your notes](https://coffeetext.app/blog/soulver-alternative) ([Markdown](https://coffeetext.app/blog/soulver-alternative.md)): Soulver and Coffee side by side, honestly: stocks, weather and Soulver Studio on one side, sums inside real Markdown notes on the other.