Choose Marked 3 over One Clear Reader if you write in your own editor and want a live preview beside it, with strong exports, custom styles and proofreading. Choose One Clear Reader if you mostly read files your AI makes: it finds them for you, opens Word, PDF and EPUB as they are, lets you edit in the same window, and has a free version with no time limit.
One Clear Reader is our app. Marked facts below come from Marked's own site, help pages and App Store listing, checked 28 September 2026.
What's the difference between Marked and One Clear Reader?
Marked and One Clear Reader are built for two different moments: Marked previews what you write, and One Clear Reader opens what your AI wrote.
Marked is made by Brett Terpstra and has been part of Mac writing setups for years. The idea is simple and strong: you write in any editor you like, and Marked shows the formatted page in its own window, updating as you save. It calls itself "NOT AN EDITOR" on the App Store. Marked 3 launched on 18 May 2026 and replaces Marked 2, which is still sold "with minimal future updates" (Brett Terpstra).
One Clear Reader is built for the moment an AI tool gives you a file. You paste the path, type part of the name, or pick it from a list of recent AI files, and it opens formatted. You read it, leave notes for the AI, make a quick fix, and move on.
In short: Marked is a companion to your writing. One Clear Reader is a front door to your AI documents.
How do One Clear Reader and Marked 3 compare side by side?
The table below compares One Clear Reader and Marked 3 on finding, reading, reviewing, editing and exporting files. Marked facts were checked 28 September 2026 against markedapp.com, its pricing page and its help pages. The Marked column describes Marked 3. Marked 2 is the older version, so check its own docs for what it has.
| One Clear Reader | Marked 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it's for | Finding, reading and reviewing the files your AI makes, with light editing | Previewing and exporting Markdown you write in another app |
| Read Markdown, PDF, Word, EPUB, web pages and CSV in one app | Yes. also .txt and .tsv; PDFs keep their layout | Partly. Markdown and text, plus PDF, Word, RTF and Scrivener converted to Markdown for the preview; PDFs lose their layout |
| Open the file your AI just made by pasting its path | Yes. cleans up quotes, ~/ and line numbers like :142 | Partly. the mk command in Terminal opens a path; an in-app paste box is not in their docs |
| See your AI's newest files, even in temp folders and Claude Code plans | Yes. Latest from your AI, last 24 hours, no setup | Partly. Folder Watching shows the newest file in a folder you choose |
| Find a file by part of its name, or by words inside it | Yes. Spotlight across your home folder and iCloud Drive | Partly. Quick Open filters open and recent documents; ⌘F searches the open preview |
| Diagrams, tables and math drawn | Yes. Mermaid, KaTeX | Yes. Mermaid on by default, MathJax and KaTeX |
| Ready-made reading settings for ADHD and dyslexia | Yes. Neuro-friendly, Paragraph Focus, Large Print, all free | Partly. Reading Mode focuses the current block; Speed Reading; custom styles |
| Highlight, add notes and send them to your AI as one prompt | Yes. 3 notes a document free, unlimited with Pro | Partly. Reading Mode highlights with comments, exported as Markdown, HTML, text, CSV or JSON; not one prompt with the file path |
| See what changed after your AI edits the file | Yes. since the last refresh, free; since your last visit, Pro | Yes. between saves, scrolling to the first edit |
| Edit and save the same file | Yes. Markdown source free; visual "Edit like a document" is Pro; shows the changes before saving | No. "NOT AN EDITOR"; you edit in another app |
| Version history | Yes. newest 3 free, up to 25 with Pro | No. preview only |
| Edit a Word file and keep it a Word file | Yes. Pro; free edits a Markdown copy | No. converts .docx to Markdown for the preview |
| Save as PDF and Word | Yes. Pro, plus a client PDF with a cover | Yes. plus EPUB, HTML, RTF and more |
| Writing help | Word count and reading time only | Proofreading, grammar checking, document statistics |
| Footnotes | No. [^1] shows as plain text | Yes. |
| Quick Look (spacebar preview) | No. | Separate app, Marked Quick Look ($9.99) |
| No account, files stay on your Mac | Yes. no analytics code | Yes. processes files locally; may collect anonymous usage stats |
| Works on | Mac (Apple silicon, macOS 13 or later) | Mac (macOS 12.4 or later) |
| Price | Free forever. Pro is optional: $19.99 a year, or $29 once at launch (first 500) | $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (intro $2.99 and $29.99), or $89.99 once (intro $69.99). App Store: $2.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $69.99 once. Marked 2: $14.99 once |
✗ means it isn't a feature in Marked's official docs.
Where is Marked the better choice?
Marked 3 beats One Clear Reader when you write your own Markdown, care about polished exports, want help with your writing, or use footnotes or Quick Look.
You write in an editor you love
If you draft in BBEdit, Sublime Text, Ulysses, Scrivener or anything else, Marked sits beside it and gives you a live preview. You keep your editor exactly as it is. One Clear Reader has its own editor for quick fixes, but it isn't meant to replace a writing app you've tuned for years.
You care how the finished file looks
Marked is the stronger export tool. It exports PDF, Word, EPUB, HTML and RTF, with custom CSS and a style generator, and it turns CriticMarkup edits into Word tracked changes when you export to DOCX (Marked help). One Clear Reader's PDF and Word exports are clean and useful, but they don't give you that level of control.
You want help with your own writing
Marked has proofreading, grammar checking, word repetition highlighting and document statistics. One Clear Reader only counts words and reading time.
You use footnotes, or need Quick Look
Marked handles footnotes, and Marked Quick Look ($9.99, separate) gives you a spacebar preview in Finder (Marked help). One Clear Reader shows [^1] as plain text and has no Quick Look extension yet.
You have an Intel Mac
The current One Clear Reader build runs on Apple silicon Macs only. Marked's App Store listing asks only for macOS 12.4 or later, so try its free trial on your Mac.
Where is One Clear Reader the better choice?
One Clear Reader beats Marked when your files come from AI, you review plans, you want to read and edit in one window, or you open Word, PDF and other formats.
The files come from your AI
Marked shines when you know where the file is, because you wrote it. AI tools scatter files across Downloads, project folders, hidden temp folders and ~/.claude/plans (~ means your home folder).
Marked's Folder Watching helps if you point it at the right folder first, and its help pages suggest it for Claude and Cursor plans (Marked help). One Clear Reader's Latest from your AI needs no setup. It lists files changed in the last 24 hours, newest first, and it checks the Claude Code plans folder and temp folders that normal search skips. Or paste the path the AI gave you, even with quotes or a line number on the end.
You review plans and send notes back
Both apps let you mark up a document. They hand it back differently.
In Marked's Reading Mode you highlight text, add comments, and export the highlights to a file (Marked help). In One Clear Reader you select words, press ⌥⌘N and type a note. When you're done, Copy as prompt puts the file path, each quoted passage and each note into one prompt you paste straight into Claude or Codex. If the AI rewrites a passage, the note shows "This text has changed", so you can check its work (how to see what the AI changed). Free allows 3 notes a document, Pro is unlimited. More in how to review a Claude Code plan.
You want to read and edit in one place
Because Marked is a previewer, fixing one date means switching apps. In One Clear Reader you press ⌘E, change it, and press ⌘S. Before anything is written, it shows you the lines added and removed. In the free Markdown editor the page updates once you save, with no live preview beside it while you type. With Pro, the visual editor lets you edit the formatted page directly. If you change your mind later, Version history keeps a copy before each save: Free shows the newest 3, Pro up to 25.
Someone sends you a Word file
Marked converts a .docx into Markdown so it can preview it. One Clear Reader shows the Word file with its headings and pictures, and with Pro you can change the words in place, inside the .docx, keeping its styles. It rewrites only the paragraphs you changed and keeps a backup before each save. It can't add new paragraphs or toggle bold and italic, so bigger rewrites still belong in Word. On Free, Edit a copy as Markdown gives you an editable .md and leaves the Word file alone. Going the other way, turning a .md file into Word covers every option, Marked included.
You open more than Markdown
AI-heavy work also produces PDFs, EPUBs, web pages and CSV files. One Clear Reader opens all of them in one window, and PDFs keep their original layout. Marked converts PDFs to Markdown for the preview, so the layout is lost (Marked help). One Clear Reader doesn't open image files on their own, only images inside a Markdown document.
You'd like a free starting point
One Clear Reader's free version reads, searches and edits Markdown with no time limit. Every Pro feature is free for 30 days, no card. Marked has a free trial, then a subscription or a one-time unlock.
Can I use Marked and One Clear Reader together?
Yes, you can use Marked and One Clear Reader together, and they get along well. Keep Marked for your own writing, with your editor beside it. Set One Clear Reader as the default app for .md files, so the files your AI makes open ready to read with a double-click. When you sit down to write, open your editor and Marked as usual.
If neither sounds right, our comparison of Markdown readers for Mac covers seven more options, free ones included.
Questions people ask
Is Marked a Markdown editor?
No. Marked describes itself as "NOT AN EDITOR". You write in another app, and Marked shows the formatted result and exports it.
How much does Marked 3 cost?
Marked 3 costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, or $89.99 for a permanent unlock, direct from the developer, with lower intro prices. On the Mac App Store it's a free download with in-app purchases from $2.99 a month or $69.99 once (checked 28 September 2026).
Is Marked 2 still worth buying?
Marked 2 is still sold for $14.99 once, but with minimal future updates now that Marked 3 is out. For a one-time price with ongoing updates, compare Marked 3's permanent unlock or One Clear Reader's $59 lifetime option.
Does One Clear Reader update when my AI changes the file?
Yes. One Clear Reader watches the open file, reloads the page when it changes, keeps your place, and marks the sections that are new or changed.
Can One Clear Reader export to Word like Marked?
Yes, with Pro. Save as Word builds a real .docx with headings, lists, tables, links and pictures. Marked offers more export formats and more control over styling.
Do both apps keep my files on my Mac?
Yes. Marked and One Clear Reader both work on local files on your Mac. Marked says it may collect anonymous usage statistics (Marked privacy). One Clear Reader has no account and no analytics, and only goes online to activate or renew a license, check for updates once a day, and open buy links.