$diff typora mdflow

> the Typora alternativeyou don't have to install

Typora is a beautiful paid desktop app with fully in-place WYSIWYG — and if you write locally on one machine, it's hard to beat. MDflow trades the native app for the browser: nothing to install, free to start, synced across every device, with sharing, comments, and an API and MCP server for AI agents.

./start-free jump to the table ↓

typora → mdflow.diff

# desktop app -> browser workspace
-install = "native app, per-OS"
+install = "any browser, nothing to install"
-price = "$14.99 license"
+price = "free to start"
-devices = "one machine"
+devices = "synced everywhere"
-agents = "local files only"
+agents = "remote mcp + full api"

$cat frustrations.log

what a desktop-only app costs you

The hidden friction of keeping your writing chained to a single machine — and how MDflow handles each one.

install

Typora is a native download you install and update per OS.

MDflow runs in any browser — nothing to install or update.

sync

Files live on one machine; syncing is your job via a folder.

Documents sync to your account across every device you sign into.

sharing

Sharing means handing someone a file.

Publish a clean reader link; people can comment and clone a copy.

price

A one-time $14.99 license per user.

Free to start; Pro is €4.99/month with 10,000 files and the API.

agents

No API; AI tools only see local files you point them at.

A full HTTP API and a remote MCP server agents can drive directly.

teams

No accounts, so no shared team space — a second writer means emailing files or wiring up a shared drive.

A Team account adds shared workspaces with roles, per-workspace access, and version history for every member.

capture

No built-in way to clip web pages into your notes.

A browser web clipper saves pages straight into your workspace as markdown.

$diff --stat typora mdflow

Typora vs MDflow, line by line

The honest version — including the rows where Typora still wins.

swipe to compare →

Feature comparison between Typora and MDflow
// feature	Typora	MDflow
Renders Markdown	WYSIWYG	Edit/Split/Preview
Runs in the browser (no install)	No	Yes
Free to start	No	Yes
Cross-device sync built in	No	Yes
Seamless WYSIWYG editing	Yes	No
DOCX / EPUB / LaTeX export	Yes	No
PDF export	Yes	Yes
Mermaid diagrams & math	Yes	No
Clean public share link	No	Yes
Reader comments on shared docs	No	Yes
Client-side encryption	No	Yes
HTTP API	No	Full (Pro)
AI agent access (MCP)	No	Remote (Pro)
Shared team account with roles	No	Team · up to 50 members
Per-workspace permissions	No	None / read / write
Team API & MCP for agents	No	Team
Audit feed	No	Team · 365 days
Web clipper extension	No	Yes
Works fully offline	Yes	Drafts only
Price	$14.99 one-time	Free · €4.99 / month for Pro

$./why-mdflow

why people switch

$mdflow open

Genuinely easy to use

No vault to configure, no ribbon to learn, no plugins to wire up. Open the browser, make a folder, start writing markdown. That's the whole onboarding.

$curl /api/v1

Full API + remote MCP server

A documented HTTP API with full read and write access, plus a remote Model Context Protocol server — so scripts and agents can manage your workspace without running a local server. Claude.ai and ChatGPT connect with a one-click OAuth sign-in; other clients use a token.

$mdflow context

Built for AI agents

Folder descriptions and document metadata give Claude, Cursor, and Codex scoped context. Your notes become a knowledge base agents can actually use.

$mdflow share

Sharing & comments that just work

Publish one document at an unguessable link — readers get a clean rendered page, can comment on a passage, and can clone their own copy. No account needed to read.

$cat pricing.txt

free in the browser vs a desktop license

Typora is a one-time $14.99 license per machine. MDflow is free to start in any browser, with Pro at €4.99/month for 10,000 files, the full API, and the remote MCP server. When the writing stops being a solo job, a Team account is €9.99 per active member each month — a separate shared account with roles, per-workspace access, and its own API and MCP server, billed independently from personal Pro.

Freefree forever

[x]100 markdown files
[x]5 image uploads
[x]Public sharing links
[x]Commenting

Pro€4.99/ month

[x]10,000 markdown files
[x]10,000 image uploads
[x]Full HTTP API access
[x]Remote MCP server

// no card to start · fair-use applies

./start-free full pricing

$git log --author=typora --oneline

Where Typora is still ahead

We'd rather be straight with you. Typora is a mature product, and there are real reasons to stay — especially if you depend on these:

Fully in-place WYSIWYG. Typora formats markdown in place as you type, with no mode to switch — the most polished writing surface around. MDflow keeps the markdown visible: you write the source and read the rendered result in Split view, where the preview follows the editor as you scroll. If seeing formatted text instead of syntax is what you want, Typora wins outright.
Rich export formats. Typora exports to DOCX, EPUB, LaTeX, and more. MDflow exports .md and a print-ready PDF.
Fully offline native app. Typora works entirely offline on local files. MDflow is cloud-native with offline drafts. For one writer on one machine, with no account to create and no server involved, Typora's local-first setup is genuinely simpler — it only starts to hurt once a second person needs the same document.
Mermaid, math & CSS themes. Typora renders Mermaid and LaTeX math and supports deep CSS theming. MDflow renders GitHub-Flavored Markdown with light/dark themes.

$cat faq.md

Typora alternative — FAQ

Is MDflow a free Typora alternative?

Yes. The free plan needs no card, and Pro is €4.99/month — there's no license to buy.

Do I need to install anything?

No. MDflow runs in any browser and syncs across devices, unlike Typora's per-machine install.

Does MDflow have WYSIWYG editing like Typora?

No — and that is a real difference. MDflow keeps you in the markdown source, with three views: Edit, Split, and Preview. In Split view the rendered preview sits beside the source and follows the editor as you scroll, so you always see the result without leaving the syntax. Typora formats in place as you type, with no mode toggle at all.

Can MDflow export to Word or PDF?

PDF yes — a print-ready export — plus the original .md. DOCX, EPUB, and LaTeX export are Typora strengths MDflow doesn't match.

Can AI agents use my markdown?

Yes. Agents connect to MDflow's remote MCP server or its full-access HTTP API (both Pro), versus Typora's local-files-only model. Claude.ai and ChatGPT sign in with one-click OAuth — no token to paste — while clients like Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex use a Personal Access Token.

Typora has no team mode — can I share a workspace with colleagues?

Yes, with a Team account: a separate shared account beside your personal workspace, at €9.99 per active member each month with a 7-day free trial. It holds up to 50 members as owner, admin, or member, 50 workspaces and 10,000 documents, with per-workspace access levels (no access, read-only, or read, write & delete), version history for every active member, a Team REST API and Team MCP server for agents, public share links, and a 365-day audit feed. Comments, image uploads, collections, and favorites aren't in Team accounts yet. Typora is a local desktop app with no accounts, so the equivalent is emailing files or sharing a folder.

What does Typora do that MDflow doesn't?

Fully in-place WYSIWYG with no mode switch, DOCX/EPUB/LaTeX export, Mermaid and math, fully offline use, and CSS themes.

$mdflow init

Try the Typora alternative built for today.

Sign in with Google, create a folder, and start writing markdown that people and AI agents can read. The free plan needs no card.

./start-free →see pricing