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Markd.ly vs Notion — an honest answer

Looking for a Notion alternative? Here is an honest Markd.ly vs Notion answer: they are different kinds of product. Notion is a shared workspace of pages and databases. Markd.ly is a native markdown editor that keeps every document as a plain .md file on your own disk, lets you write offline, and on Mac, Windows and Linux exports Word, EPUB, LaTeX and reveal.js slides as well as HTML and PDF. If your team runs its wiki and projects in Notion, keep them there.

Get Markd.lySee what Markd.ly actually is

$19.99 once, no subscription. Try it free for 24 hours first, no card.

Where Markd.ly and Notion each win

Pick Notion if

  • Your team works on the same pages at once: Notion shows each other's edits, comments and suggestions in real time. Markd.ly has no collaboration or shared pages.
  • You run projects in databases: Notion shows the same data as a table, board, timeline, calendar, list, gallery or chart. Markd.ly has nothing like them.
  • You want it in a browser: Notion runs as a web app on any computer, including Linux, where it has no desktop app. Markd.ly has no web app.
  • You want to start free: Notion's Free plan costs $0 per member.

Pick Markd.ly if

  • You want your writing as files you own. Every Markd.ly document is a plain .md file on your own disk, readable by any editor, with no export step to get it out. Notion keeps pages in its cloud and exports them to Markdown on request.
  • You deliver finished documents. On Mac, Windows and Linux, Markd.ly exports Word (DOCX), EPUB, LaTeX and reveal.js slide decks as well as HTML and PDF. Notion exports PDF, HTML, Markdown and CSV.
  • You write offline. Once you've signed in, writing and the live preview work offline in every Markd.ly app, with a connection needed at least once every 72 hours. Notion works offline in its desktop and mobile apps on the pages you mark for it, and its paid plans (Plus, Business and Enterprise) also download your recent and favorite pages, per device.
  • You want native apps, Linux included. Markd.ly is built with SwiftUI on Mac, WPF on Windows and GTK on Linux, with native apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. Notion has no Linux app.
  • You want passphrase-locked files. On Mac, Windows and Linux, Markd.ly saves a locked document with AES-256-GCM, so the file can't be read without your passphrase. Notion has no passphrase-locked pages.

Who should use which: Markd.ly or Notion

Two different tools for two different jobs. Verified ; source linked at the bottom.

What you wantMarkd.lywhat we do hereNotionwhat they do here
CategoryMarkdown document editorAll-in-one workspace
StoragePlain .md files on your own diskPages in Notion's cloud
Works offlineYes: writing and the preview, after a one-time sign-in (online at least every 72 hours)Partial: pages you mark Available offline, in the desktop and mobile apps
Account requiredYes (one Bravely Account sign-in)Yes
Databases / boardsNoYes: table, board, timeline, calendar, list, gallery and chart views
Collaboration / sharingNo (you can send a copy of a file)Yes: real-time editing, comments and suggestions
Runs onMac (macOS 14 or later), Windows 10 (1809) or later, Linux (x64), iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later), Android 8.0 or laterMac (macOS 12 or later), Windows 10 (21H2) or later, iPhone and iPad (iOS 18 or later), Android 8 or later, and the web; no Linux app
Web appNoYes
Linux appYes (x64 .deb and AppImage; no arm64)No (web app only)
PriceOne-time $19.99Free $0; Plus $10 and Business $20 per member/mo billed yearly ($12 and $24 billed monthly)
Plain-markdown native formatYesNo: pages are blocks in Notion's cloud; Markdown is an import, export and API format
Vim mode (normal/insert/visual, core motions + operators)Yes (desktop)No
Pandoc export (DOCX/EPUB/LaTeX/Reveal.js)Yes (desktop): Linux converts on your computer; Mac and Windows convert on our server, so they need a connectionNo (exports PDF, HTML, Markdown and CSV)
Encrypted documents (AES-256-GCM)Yes (desktop)No (pages are encrypted on Notion's servers, not with your passphrase)

The honest take on Markd.ly and Notion

Notion and Markd.ly solve different problems. Notion is where a team plans, documents and tracks its work together, in shared pages and databases. Markd.ly is where you write a document of your own: a plain .md file on your own disk, written offline if you like, and exported on the desktop to Word, EPUB, LaTeX, slides, HTML or PDF. Keep the team wiki in Notion. Write the documents you own, and ship them, in Markd.ly, for $19.99 once on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android.

The real question behind 'Notion alternative' is whether you need a workspace or a better place to write. If you need a workspace, look at other workspace tools; Markd.ly isn't one. If you want your writing as plain markdown files you own, Markd.ly is built for that.

Markd.ly vs Notion FAQs

Can Markd.ly replace Notion?

For your own documents, yes; for a team workspace, no. Markd.ly is an editor, and each document is a plain .md file on your disk that any other editor can open.

Does Markd.ly work offline? Do I need an account?

Yes to both. Sign in once with a Bravely Account; after that, writing and the preview work offline, with a connection needed at least once every 72 hours, and your files stay on your disk unless you add one to your cloud library.

Is Markd.ly a subscription like Notion?

No. $19.99 once unlocks Markd.ly on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android. Before you buy, try every feature free for 24 hours with no card, and add 24 more hours once if you need them.

Can I move my Notion pages into Markd.ly?

Yes. Export your Notion pages as Markdown, and Markd.ly opens them as plain .md files. There is no live importer.

Is there a Notion app for Linux?

Not a desktop one: Notion's help says "We don't have a Linux app at the moment." Markd.ly runs natively on Linux (x64, as a .deb or an AppImage).

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Pricing verified . Notion pricing source. Subject to change.