Twain
Twain vs Marked
Marked is the app closest to what Twain does: a preview window for the Markdown files you edit somewhere else. It is older, has broader export and processor options, and is priced very differently.
Not shipped yet. The signed, notarised build is in progress; the download and checkout open together when it's ready.
The short version
Marked is a preview companion: it renders the Markdown you edit somewhere else, and it has done that job for over a decade. Twain bundles Quick Look for Markdown and MDX in the free app, renders MDX components safely, and edits Markdown as blocks rather than only previewing it, for $19 once against $2.99 a month or $69.99 to own at introductory pricing. Marked's strengths sit in the table: more export formats, writing statistics, and a choice of Markdown processors. On Quick Look, the gap narrowed in July 2026 when Marked QL shipped as a separate $9.99 app for Markdown; Quick Look for MDX stays on Twain's side of this table, and Twain's comes with the free app.
you work with MDX as well as Markdown, you want Quick Look without a second purchase, you want to edit and not just preview, or a one-time $19 fits you better than a subscription.
you need broader export (DOCX, EPUB, ODT, OPML), readability scores and repetition analysis, multiple Markdown processors, custom CSS styling, or live preview wired into Scrivener, Ulysses or MarsEdit.
At a glance
Twain next to Marked on the things that decide it. Every fact is dated against Marked's public material.
| Twain | Markedverified 20 Jul 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Finder Quick Look | Yes, in the free app (MD + MDX) | Yes, via Marked QL: a separate $9.99 app, macOS 13+; MDX not advertised |
| MDX component rendering | Yes: safe, labelled unknowns, never executed | Not advertised by any Marked product |
| Editing | Block-based visual editor, tables edited in place (Pro); source for MDX | By design: previews what you edit elsewhere |
| Export | Self-contained HTML, PDF/print, presentations (Pro) | PDF, HTML, DOCX, EPUB, ODT, OPML, RTF, TextBundle, natively |
| Writing statistics and readability | No | Flesch, Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, repetition analysis |
| Markdown processors | One: remark/rehype, CommonMark plus GFM | CommonMark, MultiMarkdown, Kramdown, or any custom binary |
| Maths and Mermaid | KaTeX and Mermaid | MathJax, KaTeX and Mermaid |
| Review tooling | Diagnostics, anchored notes, rendered diff, AI report | CriticMarkup, proofing keyword lists, comment tracking; no rendered diff |
| Automation | CLI and read-only MCP ship in the app; separate packages pending | mk CLI (open source), AppleScript, marked:// URLs |
| Price | Free viewer; $19 Pro once (7-day trial) | $2.99/month or $69.99 to own (intro pricing); QL $9.99 extra |
Side by side
What Twain has that Marked doesn't
- Quick Look is part of the free app, for Markdown and MDX. Marked's is Marked QL, a separate $9.99 purchase released 9 July 2026, with MDX not advertised and dark mode still listed as coming soon.
- MDX. No Marked product advertises MDX or JSX component rendering. Twain renders known components as real UI and unknown ones as labelled placeholders, executing nothing.
- It edits. Marked's own description says it is a preview application and not an editor, deliberately. Twain previews and, with Pro, edits: blocks and tables included, saved straight back to the file.
- A review loop: a rendered diff against last save, Git HEAD or any local revision in the free viewer, plus anchored notes that survive edits and a Copy Report for Agent with Pro. Marked's proofing tools have no rendered diff.
- One-time price. $19 once with a 7-day trial, against $2.99 a month or $69.99 for the permanent unlock at introductory pricing, plus $9.99 for Quick Look.
What Marked has that Twain doesn't
- Export breadth. PDF, HTML, DOCX, EPUB, ODT, OPML, RTF and TextBundle, natively rather than through Pandoc, with named Export Profiles you can save and switch.
- Writing statistics: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, word targets, and repetition analysis that catches conjugations through stemming.
- Processor flexibility. CommonMark, MultiMarkdown and Kramdown built in, plus custom processors that pipe through any binary and rules that pick one based on file extension or location.
- Styling depth: custom CSS themes, a Style Manager, and highlight.js syntax themes applied to preview, print and PDF.
- An open-source, published mk command-line tool, AppleScript support and marked:// URLs.
- Long-form integrations: live preview for Scrivener 3, Ulysses and MarsEdit, and Fountain screenplay support.
Quick Look: what changed in July
Marked QL shipped on 9 July 2026: a Quick Look extension for Markdown with MathJax, Mermaid and syntax highlighting, sold separately at $9.99, and it works whether or not you own Marked 3. Three differences remain. Twain's Quick Look comes with the free app rather than as a second purchase; it covers MDX, which Marked QL does not advertise; and it ships dark mode today, which Marked QL lists as coming soon. We will update this page when any of that changes.
Our own gap list
We treat this page as our own gap list, and several of its entries come from Marked. Its export list is longer: DOCX, EPUB, ODT, OPML, RTF and TextBundle alongside PDF and HTML, saved as reusable Export Profiles. Its statistics cover Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid and Gunning Fog, with a repetition view that understands conjugations, and it can run your Markdown through MultiMarkdown, Kramdown or a binary of your choosing. Those gaps are real, we track them, and this page changes when one closes. What Marked does not have is Twain's review loop: a rendered diff of what changed, notes anchored to the exact spot, and a report an agent can act on, all in the free app.
Two different jobs, at two different prices
Marked is a preview companion for a writer with an editor they already love, and it has been doing that job for more than a decade. Twain is a reviewer and editor for Markdown and MDX that arrives from somewhere else, a docs repo, a pull request, an agent writing into a folder, where the questions are whether it renders, what changed and what is broken. The prices follow the shape. Marked 3 is free to download and then $2.99 a month or $69.99 to own at introductory rates, plus $9.99 for Quick Look. Twain's viewer is free and Pro is $19 once at the launch price, with a 7-day trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Questions
Does Marked have Finder Quick Look?
Yes, since July 2026, through a separate app called Marked QL at $9.99 on the Mac App Store. It works on its own without Marked 3 and requires macOS 13 or later. Twain includes Quick Look for both Markdown and MDX in the free app.
Does Marked support MDX?
MDX is not advertised as a capability of any Marked product, and no Marked documentation mentions .mdx, JSX or component rendering. Twain opens and renders MDX directly, in the app and in Quick Look.
Is Marked still being developed?
Yes. Marked 3 shipped in May 2026 and has had point releases most months since. Marked 2 is the one in maintenance, by the developer's own statement, and it is still sold at $14.99 for anyone who wants it.
Which should I buy?
If you need export breadth, readability statistics or multiple Markdown processors, Marked has them today and Twain does not. If you work with MDX, want Quick Look without a second purchase, or want to edit rather than only preview, Twain fits better. The price gap is real: $19 once against $69.99 to own Marked outright at introductory pricing.
Verification date shown reflects Marked's public material as of that day; capabilities and prices can change. Twain facts describe what the app does today; see the full comparison tables and all comparisons. Prices are in USD.
Try Twain
The free viewer, with a 7-day Pro trial built in.
Not shipped yet. The signed, notarised build is in progress; the download and checkout open together when it's ready.