Writer Computer vs Apple Notes
Apple Notes comes with every Mac, iPhone and iPad, syncs through iCloud, and holds much more than text: scanned documents, sketches, audio recordings with transcripts, checklists, shared folders and locked notes. Its notes live inside the app's accounts; since macOS Tahoe 26 it can import and export markdown, converting it to and from rich text. Writer Computer works the other way round: it edits markdown files themselves, in folders you choose, so git, scripts and other editors can read them too. It has no sync and no iPhone app.
| Writer Computer | Apple Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free, built into macOS, iOS and iPadOS |
| Source code | Open source | Proprietary, part of macOS |
| Platforms | macOS | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch; iCloud.com in a browser |
| Your notes | Markdown files in any folder you choose | Inside Notes accounts (iCloud, On My Mac or email accounts); markdown import and export since macOS Tahoe 26 |
| Sync | None built in | iCloud, or Google, Yahoo, Exchange and other accounts |
| Mermaid diagrams | Built in, every Mermaid diagram type | Not in Apple's docs |
| LaTeX math | Built in (KaTeX) | Math Results for calculations; LaTeX not in Apple's docs |
| [[Wikilinks]] | Yes, with autocomplete | Links between notes, typed with >> |
| Search across notes | File names only | Full text, including PDFs, handwriting and scans |
| Export | None | PDF and Markdown |
| Plugins and themes | No plugins; light and dark themes | No plugins in Apple's docs |
| Mobile apps | None | iPhone and iPad |
| macOS download | 6.1 MB (v0.8.0) | Built in |
| Account | Not needed | Apple Account for iCloud; not for On My Mac notes |
| Usage data | Off unless you turn it on | Covered by Apple's privacy policy |
Apple Notes details as of October 28, 2026, from Notes User Guide for Mac, import and export, markdown in Notes, iCloud data security, App Store. Writer Computer details are for v0.8.0.
Choose Apple Notes if
- You want your notes on your iPhone and iPad, synced with no setup.
- You scan documents, sketch, record audio or keep photos and PDFs in your notes.
- You share notes or folders with other people and edit them together.
- You want to lock notes with your Mac's password or Touch ID.
Choose Writer Computer if
- You want notes as plain markdown files that you own and any app can open.
- You write in markdown and use Mermaid diagrams, LaTeX math, frontmatter or
[[wikilinks]]. - Your notes live in an Obsidian vault, a git repository or a docs folder.
- You want open-source software you can read and build yourself.
Moving notes over
From Apple Notes to Writer Computer: in macOS 27, open a note and choose File → Export To → Markdown (in macOS Tahoe 26, File → Export as → Markdown). Apple's guide describes exporting one note at a time. Save the files in a folder, then open the folder in Writer Computer (how).
From Writer Computer to Apple Notes: import the files into Notes (in macOS Tahoe 26, File → Import Markdown). Notes converts them to rich text and keeps them as its own notes, in an Imported Notes folder; the markdown files stay where they were.