A lightweight markdown editor that stays out of your way.
Free and open-source — use it in the browser or download the desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Lightweight native binary, no account, no vault.
Everything you need, nothing you don't.
Toggle between raw markdown with syntax highlighting and a rich WYSIWYG visual editor.
Ctrl+E to switchNative app built with Tauri + Rust, not Electron — lightweight and quick to open.
Multiple documents in tabs. Undo history, scroll position, and cursor preserved when switching.
Bold, italic, headings, links, lists, code blocks — via toolbar buttons or keyboard shortcuts.
Document overview on the right side, just like VS Code and Sublime Text. Navigate at a glance.
Copy for AI wraps your document in a clean fenced block ready to paste into ChatGPT or Claude. Clean AI Paste strips zero-width characters and curly quotes. A live token estimate sits in the status bar.
Ctrl+Shift+A to copy for AIThe desktop app checks for new versions on launch and updates itself — no reinstalling. Trigger it any time from Help → Check for Updates.
MIT licensed. Free to use, modify, and distribute. Built in the open on GitHub.
Write the way you think.
The refactor is nearly complete. Focus on performance and cleanup.
Tauri v2Write in raw markdown or rich text — your choice.
Stay in the flow. Everything has a shortcut.
Free and open source. Always.
Or use it right now — open the browser version →
MDE is a free, open-source markdown editor built with Tauri and React. It gives you two editing modes in one window: a raw source editor (powered by CodeMirror) with syntax highlighting and a minimap, and a rich visual editor (powered by Milkdown) for formatted live-preview writing. Switch between them instantly with Ctrl+E.
The desktop app is a lightweight native build (Tauri + Rust, not Electron), with no telemetry, requires no account, and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. A browser version is available with no install required.
Yes, completely free — forever. MDE is MIT licensed and open-source on GitHub. There is no trial period, no paid tier, no premium plan, and no feature gating. The browser version at /mde/app/ is also free to use directly without downloading anything.
Yes. The full editor — including dual-mode editing, tabs, and minimap — is available at seveneves.ai/mde/app/. No sign-up, no extension, no install. It is a good option if you are on a locked-down machine or just want to try it before downloading. The desktop app adds native file system access (open and save local files directly) and works offline without a browser.
MDE runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The desktop app ships as .exe / .msi for Windows, .dmg for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), and .deb / .AppImage / .rpm for Linux. If you prefer not to install anything, the full editor is also available in the browser at seveneves.ai/mde/app/ — same features, no download.
MDE has no built-in chatbot — it is an editor, not an assistant — but it is built to work alongside ChatGPT and Claude. Copy for AI (Ctrl+Shift+A) wraps the whole document in a fenced code block — with a fence long enough that internal code blocks cannot break it — so you can paste it into an LLM without formatting loss. Clean AI Paste strips the invisible junk that AI and word-processor output carry: zero-width characters, non-breaking spaces, and curly quotes. And a live token estimate in the status bar (approximately characters ÷ 4) tells you at a glance whether a document fits a model's context window.
MDE is free and open-source (MIT license) where popular alternatives cost money — Typora charges ~$15 after its trial period. It is built with Tauri and Rust rather than Electron, so it starts faster and uses less memory than Electron-based editors. Unlike vault-centric tools, MDE opens any file anywhere with no setup, no account, and no folder structure imposed on you.
They serve different needs. MDE is the right choice when you want a free, instantly-launching markdown editor with no setup and no commitment. Typora is a polished live-preview editor but costs ~$15 after its trial. Obsidian is free for personal use but is designed around a local vault of interlinked notes — it is a knowledge-base application, not a simple editor, and that scope comes with weight.
| Dimension | MDE | Typora | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free & open-source (MIT) | ~$15 one-time (after 15-day trial) | Free for personal use; Sync/Publish add-ons are paid |
| Install required? | No — use in browser; or install desktop app | Desktop only | Desktop only |
| Runtime | Native — Tauri + Rust | Electron | Electron |
| Editing modes | Dual: raw source + visual preview (toggle with Ctrl+E) | Seamless live-preview (single mode) | Live-preview + reading view; source mode available |
| Tabs | Yes, with persistent undo & cursor state | Yes | Yes, plus panes |
| Minimap | Yes | No | No (plugin available) |
| Vault / folder model | No — open any file, anywhere | No — open any file | Yes — vault-centric, file must live inside vault |
| Account / cloud required | No | No | No (Sync add-on is optional) |
| Intended use | Quick, focused markdown editing of individual files | Beautiful distraction-free writing | Personal knowledge base, linked notes, PKM |
| Choose when… | You want free, fast, and frictionless — or need to edit a file in the browser right now | You prefer seamless WYSIWYG and are happy to pay $15 | You want a second brain / notes graph, not just an editor |