# MiaoYan (妙言)

> A lightweight, local-first Markdown note-taking app for macOS, built natively with Swift 6.

Official website: https://miaoyan.app/
Source code: https://github.com/tw93/MiaoYan
Latest release: https://github.com/tw93/MiaoYan/releases/latest
Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/cn/app/miaoyan/id6759252269
Product facts: https://yobi.tw93.fun/projects/miaoyan
Author: Tw93, https://tw93.fun/

## Who it is for

MiaoYan is for people who want a focused, native Mac writing app that keeps ordinary Markdown files in a folder they choose. It does not collect note data. iCloud Drive, Nutstore, Dropbox, or another file-sync client can sync that folder when needed.

## Key capabilities

- Pure Markdown editing with a separate real-time preview
- Split editor and preview with 60fps bidirectional scroll sync
- Wikilinks and backlinks
- LaTeX and Mermaid diagrams
- Version history, auto-formatting, keyboard shortcuts, and dark mode
- Markdown presentation mode and a command-line interface
- Native Swift 6 app with no Electron runtime
- Requires macOS 11.5 or later

## Installation

- Mac App Store: paid purchase with automatic updates
- Homebrew: `brew install --cask miaoyan`
- GitHub Releases: download the latest DMG

All three options use the same codebase and receive the same updates.

## Comparisons

Compared with Typora, MiaoYan does not use a WYSIWYG editor. It keeps the Markdown source and preview separate for people who want direct control of the file.

Compared with Obsidian, MiaoYan has no Electron runtime and is not centered on a plugin ecosystem. It favors a smaller set of built-in writing features and local Markdown files.