MarsDawn
Try all of it. Then pay once.
MarsDawn is a free download. Start the 14-day trial and every feature works; to keep using it after that, one purchase of USD 4.99 unlocks it. There is no subscription and no account.
- Markdown highlighting in the editor, included.
- Every theme and every layout is included.
- Mermaid diagrams, included.
- Code highlighting, included.
How it works
- Download it free. MarsDawn is free to download from the Mac App Store.
- Try all of it for 14 days. Start the trial and everything in MarsDawn works for 14 days: every theme and layout, PDF export and printing, and the Siri and Shortcuts actions. Quick Look in Finder works with or without the trial.
- Unlock it once. To keep using it after that, unlock it once for USD 4.99. It's an in-app purchase, not a subscription, so nothing renews and nothing charges you later.
- The trial doesn't charge you either. When it ends, nothing is bought unless you choose to unlock.
- There is no account. MarsDawn never asks you to create one.
- With the same Apple Account, one trial and one unlock cover MarsDawn on Mac, iPhone and iPad. On iPhone and iPad, MarsDawn is for reading: it doesn't edit or export PDFs.
What works when
| Trial (days 1–14) | Trial ended, not unlocked | Unlocked | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open a document in MarsDawn | Yes | Opens, with the content covered | Yes |
| Read and edit in MarsDawn (source, preview, Mermaid, math) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Export as PDF and print from MarsDawn | Yes | No | Yes |
| Keep typed text with File ▸ Save As… | Yes | Yes, in a window open when the trial ended | Yes |
| Siri and Shortcuts actions | Yes | No | Yes |
| Quick Look in Finder, with Mermaid diagrams and math | Yes | Yes, unchanged | Yes |
marsdawn export (free command-line tool): PDF with diagrams and math | Yes | Yes, unchanged | Yes |
| Your files on disk | As you saved them | As you saved them; the lock never changes them | As you saved them |
Before you start the trial, MarsDawn shows the trial offer. Starting it costs nothing.
PDF files you open in MarsDawn are locked the same way once the trial ends.
If you don't unlock
- After 14 days, until you unlock it, you can't read, edit, export or print documents in MarsDawn. A document still opens, but its content is covered.
- Your files don't change. They're ordinary files on your Mac, and Quick Look in Finder keeps showing them.
- The free
marsdawncommand-line tool keeps exporting them to PDF, trial or not. - If a document is open in MarsDawn when the trial ends, the text you typed isn't lost: use File ▸ Save As… to keep it.
Questions and answers
How much does MarsDawn cost?
MarsDawn is a free download from the Mac App Store. You can use every feature for 14 days, and after that a one-time in-app purchase of USD 4.99 unlocks it.
Is there a subscription?
No. The unlock is a single purchase, so nothing renews and nothing charges you later. Starting the trial costs nothing either.
What happens when the 14-day trial ends?
Until you unlock MarsDawn, you can't read, edit, export or print documents in it: they open with their content covered. Your files stay exactly as you saved them.
Does Quick Look still work after the trial?
Yes. Quick Look in Finder works with or without the trial. The free marsdawn command-line tool also keeps exporting Markdown to PDF.
Do I need an account?
No. MarsDawn never asks you to create an account.