Compare Byword vs. Markdown Journal

Create your next blog post, narrative, or academic paper seamlessly from any location by utilizing Markdown for easy text formatting, keyboard shortcuts, and real-time word counting features. With the convenience of iCloud and Dropbox, you can effortlessly craft documents in Byword on your Mac, then access and edit them on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, and the reverse holds true as well. This flexibility allows for document editing on any device you choose, whether at home or on the go. Byword boasts comprehensive support for Markdown, enabling you to preview your work within the app and export it to various formats like HTML, PDF, and rich text. You can even publish directly to platforms such as Medium, WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, and Evernote with ease. While the current absence of rich text support is attributed to technical challenges and limited development capabilities, we are assessing the potential investment in rich text functionality for iOS. In the meantime, we highly advocate for using plain text and Markdown formats for your writing needs, as highlighted in a compelling article by Macworld that discusses the advantages of choosing plain text today. Embracing this approach not only enhances compatibility across devices but also simplifies the writing process.

Markdown Journal is an easy-to-use journaling application that leverages Dropbox for storage, saving your entries as Markdown files. You have complete authority over your journal, as all entries are securely stored in your personal Dropbox indefinitely. Should you choose to discontinue using Markdown Journal, all your entries remain yours to keep. There is no need for an export feature since your work is always accessible as plain text files in your Dropbox. You can start taking notes right away by simply clicking Write, provided you have a Dropbox account; if you haven't logged in for a while, the app will prompt you to connect to your Dropbox. Each month, a new file is automatically created for your entries, and you have the option to edit these files using any text editor you prefer. Additionally, you can delete or rename any files whenever you want, and Markdown Journal will continue to function seamlessly regardless of your actions. When you save an entry to your Dropbox folder, it maintains the original Markdown formatting, ensuring your notes look just the way you want them. This flexibility and control make Markdown Journal an excellent choice for anyone looking to document their thoughts without hassle.