Formatted on screen, plain text on disk
Most Markdown editors make you choose: stare at raw syntax, or split the window into source and preview. Beauty does neither. Type # and the line becomes a heading. Tick a task and it looks done. Underneath, the file is still ordinary Markdown that any other app can open.
Your library is a normal folder. Each note is a .md file, images sit next to them, and a readable catalog ties the collection together. You can browse it in Finder, back it up with Time Machine, or open a note in another editor tomorrow. Nothing is locked inside a database.
Already have Markdown files somewhere else? Open them from Finder or File → Open… and each one gets its own window. Edits save back to the original file, and Command-S saves immediately. Choose Add to library only if you want a copy in Beauty's library.
Start writing in under a minute
- Get Beauty from the Mac App Store and open it. No account, no signup.
- Create a note. Type
#and a space for a heading, or use the toolbar if you would rather ignore syntax entirely. - Keep writing. When you need to share it, export to Markdown, HTML, or PDF.
Not sure what to write first? The free meeting notes template gives you a purpose, decisions, and action items in one short page.
Keyboard-first, the way Mac apps should be
The shortcuts you already know work: Command-B for bold, Command-I for italic, Command-K for a link. Markdown shorthand structures a line as you type it. Tab and Shift-Tab indent and outdent list items, and the toolbar has Highlight, Increase indent, and Decrease indent when you want a button.
The harder stuff is covered too. Code blocks keep their language, math formulas render inline, and tables get real controls for rows, columns, and alignment. You can change the typeface and line width to suit the document.
Curious how the formatting maps to the underlying syntax? Read about Beauty as a WYSIWYG Markdown editor.
Once you have hundreds of notes, search still feels instant. It runs entirely on your Mac, matches word variations like plurals, and results do not jump around while you type. We wrote up how we built on-device search if you want the details.
Works offline. Syncs only if you want it to.
Writing never needs a connection. Draft on a plane, keep working when the Wi-Fi drops, and export when you are ready. Plain files mean you never depend on a service to read your own notes, but they will not save you from a dead disk, so keep a backup.
Want the same library on your iPhone and iPad too? Beauty Maximus is an optional subscription that syncs it through your own iCloud Drive, with no Beauty account and no Beauty server. The editor and local files stay free without it.
Export for whoever reads it next
- Markdown when someone else will keep editing.
- HTML when the document is headed for the web.
- PDF when the reader just needs to open and read it.
The Markdown to PDF guide covers how to get a clean result. You can also export your entire library as a zip, images included.