Markdown first
CommonMark with GitHub tables, task lists, strikethrough and footnotes, rendered with clean typography.
Typora alternative
The free, open-source Typora alternative for Mac.
Typora renders Markdown in place as you type. kayet keeps the Markdown source visible, puts a live preview one shortcut away and stays out of your way the rest of the time.
kayet vs Typora at a glance
| kayet | Typora | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no paid tiers | Paid license after a free trial |
| Source code | Open source (Apache 2.0) | Closed source |
| Where your text lives | Plain files in any folder you pick | Plain Markdown files |
| Platforms | macOS on Apple Silicon | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Editing style | Markdown source with a live split preview | Inline rendering (WYSIWYG-style) |
| Built with | Rust and Tauri, the system web view | Electron |
| Export | HTML and PDF | Many formats, through Pandoc |
| Presentations | Slides from --- sections | — |
What will feel familiar
A folder of files
An optional file tree shows a folder of notes. Everything is a regular file on disk.
Images just work
Pasted images are saved next to the document, and web images are shown from a downloaded copy.
Where kayet is different
Source stays visibleYou always see and edit the Markdown itself. Toggle the preview with ⌘⇧P when you want to see the result.
Small and nativeRust and the macOS web view instead of a bundled browser engine. kayet starts instantly and stays tiny on disk.
Free and open sourceNo license key, no trial period. Apache License 2.0.
Workspace searchJump to any file with ⌘P and search the text of the whole workspace with ⌘⇧F.
When Typora is the better choice
kayet does less on purpose. Stay with Typora if:
- You prefer to edit rendered text and never see Markdown syntax.
- You need math, diagrams or export to formats like Word and EPUB.
- You work on Windows or Linux.
Questions
Is kayet a free Typora alternative?
Yes. kayet is free and open source, with a live Markdown preview, HTML and PDF export and no license to buy.
Does kayet render Markdown inline like Typora?
No. kayet shows the Markdown source and renders it in a live preview pane beside the editor, with scroll sync.
Is kayet built on Electron?
No. kayet is written in Rust with Tauri and uses the web view built into macOS, so it does not ship its own browser engine.
Start writing.
Free and open source. Requires macOS on Apple Silicon.
Download for Mac
Signed and notarized. Release notes & previous versions.
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Typora is a trademark of its respective owner. kayet is an independent project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the makers of Typora. The comparison reflects publicly available information as of October 2026 and may change.