Twain
Twain vs Typora
Typora is a syntax-free Markdown editor. Twain reads, reviews and edits Markdown and MDX files, with the Finder integration, MDX support and agent tooling Typora has never added.
Not shipped yet. The signed, notarised build is in progress; the download and checkout open together when it's ready.
The short version
Typora is an editor for one job, writing long-form Markdown in a syntax-free surface, for $14.99 once. What it has never added is precisely Twain's territory: no Finder Quick Look (its own docs point you to a third-party plug-in), no MDX (saving an .mdx file renames it to .md), no CLI (the request has been open for years), and no review tooling. Twain ships all of those, plus a block-based visual editor of its own (Pro, 7-day trial), in a signed, notarised 1.0 you can download today. If your day is writing prose and exporting it widely, Typora is built for that. If your day includes reviewing Markdown and MDX documentation, Twain is built for you.
you review Markdown and MDX documentation, you want Finder Quick Look and safe MDX rendering, or your files come from a docs repo or an AI and need checking and fixing rather than composing.
your day is writing long-form Markdown prose, you want a syntax-hiding editing surface with Pandoc-backed export formats, or you need Windows and Linux builds too.
At a glance
Twain next to Typora on the things that decide it. Every fact is dated against Typora's public material.
| Twain | Typoraverified 17 Jul 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Finder Quick Look | Yes (MD + MDX) | No: docs recommend a third-party plug-in |
| MDX | Yes: safe component rendering | No: renames .mdx to .md on save |
| Editor | Block-based visual editor, tables edited in place (Pro); source for MDX | Syntax-hiding in-place editor |
| Maths | KaTeX | MathJax v4 with chemistry and physics packages |
| Mermaid | Yes | Yes |
| Export | Self-contained HTML, PDF/print, presentations (Pro) | PDF/HTML/image plus Pandoc DOCX, EPUB, LaTeX, RTF |
| Review tooling (diagnostics, diff, annotations, AI report) | Yes | No |
| CLI / automation | CLI (check, render, export) and read-only MCP ship in the app; separate packages pending | No CLI (request open for years) |
| Platforms | macOS 14+ | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Price | Free viewer; $19 Pro once, all your Macs (7-day trial) | $14.99 once, up to three devices |
Side by side
What Twain has that Typora doesn't
- Finder Quick Look. Press space on a Markdown or MDX file and read it rendered by the same engine as the app, so the preview always matches. Typora has none; its own documentation points you to a separate Quick Look plug-in.
- MDX. Twain renders MDX components safely. Typora has no MDX support and, on save, renames an .mdx file to .md.
- Review tooling. Diagnostics with source lines, anchored annotations, a rendered diff since your last save, and a Copy Report for Agent. Typora has no diff, annotations or diagnostics.
- Built for agent-written docs. A CLI (check, render, export) and a read-only MCP server ship in the app, with separate packages next. Typora has no CLI; the request has been open for years.
- Shipped, signed and notarised: 1.0 released 31 July 2026 with version-pinned downloads, an open changelog, and a stated upgrade policy: one-time purchase, 1.x updates included, your licence remains yours.
What Typora has that Twain doesn't
- Editor depth. True syntax-hiding in-place editing, WYSIWYG tables with drag-reorder, footnote previews.
- Maths. MathJax v4 with chemistry and physics packages and custom macros. Twain renders KaTeX.
- Export breadth. Built-in PDF, HTML and image export plus Pandoc-backed DOCX, EPUB, LaTeX and RTF, with custom export commands.
- Themes. Around 200 community CSS themes with an authoring guide.
- Cross-platform. Windows and Linux builds as well as Mac.
Two different jobs
Typora is an editor: you open it to write. Twain is built around reading, checking and fixing: you open a file to see it rendered, mark it up, and edit what needs editing. There is overlap, both render Markdown in place and both edit tables visually, but the centre of gravity is different. Typora has spent years on the writing surface. Twain has spent its time on Finder integration, MDX, review tooling, and, since 1.0, a block-based visual editor for fixing what you find.
The MDX gap
MDX is Markdown with components, and it is now the default for documentation sites built on Docusaurus, Mintlify, Nextra and Fumadocs. Typora has no MDX support; the request has been open since 2019, and today the Mac build does not register the extension, so saving an .mdx file renames it to .md. Twain renders MDX: known components map to built-in UI, unknown ones become labelled placeholders, and nothing in the file executes. A component map can teach it the names each documentation stack uses.
Our own gap list
We hold Twain to a harsh standard, and this comparison doubles as our roadmap. Typora's maths engine (MathJax v4 with chemistry and physics packages) covers more than our KaTeX pipeline, its export list is longer, and it runs on Windows and Linux. Those entries sit on our gap list, and when one closes, this page changes; the visual editor, tables included, was the first big entry to come off it. What stays different is the job: Typora is built for composing prose, Twain for reading, reviewing and fixing the files a repo or an agent hands you.
Questions
Does Typora support Quick Look in Finder?
No. Typora has no Finder Quick Look, and its own documentation recommends installing a third-party plug-in such as QLMarkdown or Glance. Twain provides Quick Look for both Markdown and MDX out of the box.
Can Typora open MDX files?
Not usefully. Typora has no MDX support, and on the Mac it does not register the .mdx extension, so saving an .mdx file renames it to .md. Twain opens and renders MDX directly.
Is Typora better than Twain?
They are built for different jobs. Typora is a writing surface with a long export list and Windows and Linux builds. Twain pairs its own visual editor with the things Typora has never added: Quick Look, MDX rendering, review tooling and a CLI. Pick by the job, not by a verdict.
Is Twain cheaper than Typora?
Typora is $14.99 once for up to three devices, with a 15-day trial and no free tier. Twain's viewer and review tools are free, and Pro is a one-time $19 at the launch price with a 7-day trial, covering every Mac you own with no device limit. Twain also states its upgrade policy in writing: 1.x updates are included and your licence remains yours.
Verification date shown reflects Typora'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.