Then you’re doing it wrong, to paraphrase Steve Jobs. 
Modern Markdown editors like NotePlan and Typora hide that.
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Indeed, which for some reason, the developers of iA Writer consider markdown blasphemy. 
NotePlan is fantastic, but I don’t want to get locked into what I consider an expensive subscription and Typora is not available on iOS. I don’t like renting my tools if I can avoid it.
You of all people must know by now that there is never just one way to do things and that each way has its own fanbase!
And NotePlan and Typora are just the two apps that I use. I’ll bet there are others that you might find appealing. Even “no subscription” Obsidian does a nice job of giving you display alternatives.
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I’ve tried most of the options out there, and at times, thought I’d finally settled. For most of my apps, I have — I’m fully settled with Apple Notes for my notes and DEVONthink for my research database, Apple’s default apps for email, calendar, and tasks.
But when it comes to my primary writing app, I haven’t quite landed. Ulysses comes the closest to meeting my needs and preferences, and its subscription is reasonable. Still, it feels like an intermediary between drafting and final output. It also uses a “non-standard” flavor of Markdown (if such a thing even exists), which means I lose some formatting and features when exporting. For some time now, I’ve defaulted to Apple Pages for nearly all my writing, except for the book project, where I keep identical copies of the manuscript in both Ulysses and Scrivener. Obsidian is a nice app, but I don’t want to rely on plug-ins for advanced features, and I’m not a fan of the mobile experience. I also prefer native apps whenever possible. That said, Scrivener’s mobile app isn’t much better for my needs, and I dislike using Dropbox for syncing. Compiling from Scrivener also feels unnecessarily complex.
NotePlan is a beautiful app and well supported. However, based on my testing, it’s not really a “writing” app in the true sense. As the name implies, it is a note app. Much of my shorter writing still runs 3–5 pages with multiple headings and sub-headings, and to ensure good flow, I prefer to work with an outline of my piece—something that Obsidian, Ulysses, Pages, and Scrivener each provide in their own way.
I know, I have a problem and probably need therapy. Seriously, this is driving me nuts, no pun intended.
My short read is that it’s an anti-Microsoft polemic by a company that makes a Markdown editor. Big shocker there. Let me go into this by stating that I hate Word with a burning passion that words do not accurately describe, but I don’t hate word processing software as it exists in the GUI age. There’s a place for everything.
@rkaplan made a bunch of the comments I would have made.
I think I would argue that the design is always part of the message. Markdown isn’t an exception to this. It’s designed for rendering into a standard format, that can have CSS applied to it as necessary.
Sure. But I would also argue that lawyers should have a default set of styles that conveys their message appropriately, such that it’s taken seriously. This is in the same category as printing important communications on nice paper. Spending all day deciding which paper to use, every time, is asinine. But filling your supply cabinet with 24-lb bright white paper makes all of your documents look sharper.
I agree 100% on the web aspect. Two words for large documents: page numbers. “If everybody will turn to page 4, second paragraph…” Amazon Kindle smacked into this issue. They have “location,” but even they’re getting back to correlating locations to page numbers. The official printing of Robert’s Rules Of Order was one edition, with everything on consistent pages. This is a book where a dozen people in a room need to be able to pick up their copy, flip quickly, and be seeing the same text. That is, until RONR 12th, which actually went through and numbered EVERYTHING so they could accommodate ebook editions with flowable pages. 
With every update, the focus shifted further away from writing and toward formatting. Using Word, you come to think that writing means choosing fonts.
This confuses correlation with causation. There are a rather finite number of ways in which Word can help you write, other than grammar and spell check. As the software progressed, formatting became more advanced because the ability to format became more advanced.
As soon as they could, pictures were added to the editor. Few things are as distracting when you write than colorful pictures.
See the point above. Also, this, and many other things in this article, read as “I don’t use/want this, therefore it shouldn’t be useful to anybody.” Nobody has to embed images in Word. And Markdown has had images from the beginning, which will get rendered when you’re previewing it…so I’m not sure what the author’s point is.
One month at work is enough to learn Office.
This is just flat-out not true, as the strong implication is that you pick it up by osmosis on the job. If you “pick it up on the job,” you pick up most of the bad habits that the article author is railing against.
What if, instead, we got rid of all the screens, the buttons, menus, and settings?
Except they seem to be advocating for their own software, which (checks notes) utilizes a screen…so I’d take this with a heaping helping of salt. 
All kidding aside, being able to type quickly is important…at least currently. And you get that by constant practice. I don’t particularly care what software schools use. I personally think it would be great if kids got to use a bunch of different tools, so they could see what they liked.
But at some point, a kid is going to want to make a flyer for their lemonade stand (or whatever the modern equivalent is!), and they’re going to want some software that allows visual formatting, a picture of a glass of lemonade, and shows the kid what the finished page looks like. I have to believe we can teach kids that when you’re writing, you’re writing. When you’re doing page layout, you’re doing page layout. And even if you can do them both in the same app, they’re two different tasks.
I love and use Markdown. I love and use Pages. And I use them for different things. My world hasn’t exploded. And my biggest difficulties in writing have nothing to do with the presence of a formatting bar or lack thereof.
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ChatGPT 4.o provided a good overall summary for me.
Writing App Preferences & Workflow Summary: Final Assessment & Recommendations
1. Personal Preferences Summary
- Native, well-integrated apps across your Apple ecosystem.
- Visible outline view while writing, especially for medium-length pieces (3–5 pages) with multiple headings and subheadings.
- Clean export to Apple Pages for final formatting, minimal post-processing.
- No Markdown syntax clutter or plugin dependencies.
- Simple sync across all Apple devices (Apple-first preferred).
- Avoid complex compiling processes like Scrivener’s.
- Project/library management preferred but not essential if folders suffice.
- Subscription is acceptable, but not determinative.
- Notes and research: Apple Notes + DEVONthink (already settled).
2. Application-by-Application Assessment
| App Name | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Pages | Primary App | Best fit for your needs. Native, syncs well, outline view, heading styles, and final formatting all in one. |
| Scrivener | Secondary (Complex Projects Only) | Use for books or multi-part projects. Compile to .docx and finish in Pages. Skip mobile version and Dropbox sync. |
| Ulysses | Discard | Close, but export issues and Markdown quirks create friction. Requires post-processing in Pages. |
| iA Writer | Discard | Syntax clutter, no outline sidebar, no project management. |
| Obsidian | Discard | Plugin-reliant, clunky mobile, Markdown clutter. |
| NotePlan | Discard | Excellent app, but not suited for structured writing beyond notes. |
3. Decision Map for Writing Workflow
| Writing Stage / Scenario | Recommended App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short- to medium-form writing (1–5 pages) | Apple Pages | Use outline view, native headings, and apply your styles as you go. Clean export-ready. |
| Multi-section, complex projects (e.g., book) | Scrivener (desktop only) | Build structure, compile to Word or RTF, finish formatting in Pages. Skip the mobile app. |
| Notes, research, and references | Apple Notes + DEVONthink | Settled and integrated with your ecosystem. |
| Writing with visible outline, distraction-free | Apple Pages | Use Pages’ native outline and focus mode. Skip iA Writer (no sidebar outline). |
| Sync across devices | Apple iCloud + Pages | Fully native sync, seamless across Mac, iPad, and iPhone. |
| Versioning and library management | Manual, with folders/templates in Pages | Pages does not have built-in versioning or project library. Manage manually via organized folders and template documents. |
| Export and final formatting | Apple Pages | Already your destination format, no additional export step needed. |
4. Apple Pages Setup Checklist (Optimize for Writing Workflow)
- Prepare Document Styles: Set up a clean template with Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 styles.
- Enable Outline View: View > Show Document Outline. Apply heading styles to build the outline as you write.
- Create a Custom Template: Set up your template and save it to the template chooser.
- Organize Documents with Folders: Use iCloud Drive to create a ‘Writing Projects’ folder. Subfolders: Blog Articles, Speeches, Book Manuscript, Leadership Letters.
- Sync Across Devices: Ensure iCloud is enabled for Pages on all devices. Test sync with a test document.
- Backups and Versions: Use Time Machine for version history. Optional: Manual versioning by duplicating documents periodically (e.g., ‘Speech Draft v2’).
5. Scrivener to Pages Export Workflow
Step 1: Write and Structure in Scrivener (Desktop) - Build your manuscript with folders and document hierarchy. Keep formatting simple; avoid complex compile settings.
Step 2: Compile to Word (.docx) or RTF - File > Compile. Choose Microsoft Word (.docx) or Rich Text Format (RTF). Include titles and section headings.
Step 3: Open in Apple Pages - Open the compiled document in Pages. Apply your predefined styles (Heading 1, 2, 3) as needed. Finalize formatting.
Step 4: Save and Sync - Save to your iCloud ‘Writing Projects’ folder. Your document is now ready for distribution or archiving.
Final Conclusion
You are effectively settled with a clean, efficient workflow:
- Apple Pages as your primary writing environment for both drafting and final documents.
- Scrivener serves as a secondary, structuring tool for large projects.
- Apple Notes and DEVONthink continue to manage your notes and research reliably.
- Avoid tools that introduce export friction, syntax clutter, or plugin dependencies.
This ecosystem is native, future-proof, and aligned with your needs.
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Ulysses. I know it and others like it are billed as Markdown editors but they also allow traditional editing. One of my pet hates of Markdown is the link syntax, but I just press Cmd-K like in most other apps and paste my link into a box.
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It’s like guns. Not inherently bad, but misused by so many people that it’s best to tightly control them. Well, in most civilised countries.
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I think Ulysses is a fantastic app and I’ve used it extensively. 
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Agreed, and we do. But we collaborate on documents from far and wide; so, making sure everyone is using styles, rather than manually formatting, is its own challenge.
I’m curious, is this done online, i.e. sharing a document in real time? Or by emailing copies back & forth?
But formatting is not only about margins.
When I write rebuttal reports I routinely organize my thoughts as bulllets, sub-bullets, and at times sub-sub-bullets. You cannot write that effectively in an email. Even dictation is sometimes a challenge. But it’s worth my time to proof it and fix it because that visual structure helps so much with understanding the underlying arguments.
I like Pages. It’s my go to for personal use I keep Microsoft Word around (free since I am an educator) to assure no formatting snaffus for conversion.
The lack of a true offline app for the Google Workspace drives me nuts but our school lives in google drive. Google is top tier in terms of colloboration and Apple Pages could be if they would be willing to cross platform iWork. (and no iCloud.com doesn’t count.)
I would really really like to settle on one solution and not have to be fluent in multiple Office Suites.
It didn’t used to be the case, but Microsoft now has this nailed as well. We use it at work every day (in Word and PowerPoint).
I have heard that as well. But they got there long after Google took over the school markets so its too little to late. (at least as far as education is concerned) Google Docs being free is also a competitive advantage.
The one thing I would change about Microsoft Office is that I would love it if they empowered the user to format their own UI and menus and buttons. Someone needs every feature, I don’t. allow me to clean up the buttons, bury them so that I can have a simplified experience.
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I’m showing my age but the first text processing I did was on an IBM mainframe using Script under VM/370-CMS. Some similar concepts to Markdown. Been almost 50 years since I last used it.
Since then I’ve used a variety of tools including Wordstar, WordPerfect, MS Word (DOS and Windows), and Pages. Each had their advantages and fit the computing resources of the time. I recently tried running Libre-office on a Raspberry Pi-zero under Debian. Talk about slow. A simple text editor with Markdown would have been better.
I was a MS Office user for years. After retiring I kept using it due to familiarity but got tired of the subscription so switched the the Apple suite. Pages and Keynote were fairly easy to switch but moving to Numbers took a lot of practice.
All that said I have a very important reason why I need to use a keyboard and screen - I have horrible handwriting. Been that why since elementary school. I can type at 2 to 3 times the speed that I can write legibly. I also rarely concern myself with formatting while writing. I do most of it in post.
Do some people focus too much on formatting? Yes, but I will lay that on the original Mac. Outside of desktop publishing apps nobody was doing that level of formatting. On the point of prioritizing form over content I go back to Louis Sullivan’s maxim of “Form follows function.” Some documents need certain design elements to meet their function.
On the subject of teaching kids to write I disagree with the way I was taught. While reading different types of writing is good, the best way to learn to write is to write, write, and more write. Do you think a good programmer gets that way by reading classic programs? No, they wrote a lot of bad programs and learned how to program better in the process. From that viewpoint, a simple writing tool will be better. That does not include writing in cursive on paper with a fountain pen.
Again, I would agree with you. When design is an intentional part of the persuasive package you are developing then certainly the formatting is a function of analysis, not mere mechanics.
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I look at formatting as the proper way to allow someone, even yourself, to see the forest for the trees or to add the harmony to the melody when you are reading content. We must use format to make the content into an art form that we appreciate, first as we approach it to see the forest (e.g. the outline of sections) and later as we delve into it to see the ebb and flow (e.g. the emphasized or bold statements within).
I do not see markdown as a viable formatting approach to produce content that must be defined to fit into strictly-sized container layouts, ultimately such things as letter paper or A4 sized pages. Let’s call such things a “document”. Content that can go wherever it wants in the currently viewed container is correspondingly called a “Web page”.
I do not see Word as the first choice to produce a Web page. This is where markdown excels, especially as the simpler-to-understand preface to HTML.
I do not see Word as a viable application to produce a document that must be formatted to keep consistent size and layout rules going over more than three pages. I also do not see it as a viable application to produce a document that must contain carefully well-designed layouts of mixed-types of content such as text, mathematics, figures, and tables.
As background, I am an outlier here. I use LaTeX for to write documents beyond three pages, documents that have mixed content, and mostly any document that should be consistent time and time and time again. I use Word because a) my colleagues do not accept anything else (even PDF in some cases), b) the collaboration (tracking) features in Word are well-designed, or c) the document is about three pages of text with little formatting beyond section headings. I dabble in markdown. I export from Bookends in a markdown format to review notes in Obsidian. I do the same from a scientific/engineering application that I use.
Finally, we might go caveman style and give students a legal pad and a pen. But we should still expect them to learn to apply a formatting style to their written content, for example underlining the section headings, indenting the figure captions, and centering the mathematical expressions on their own space.
In summary, divorce the notion that writing well means ignoring format. Also get rid of the notion that formatting does not matter, not because formatting matters when we write something but because how well we format content absolutely matters when we want someone to read the document or Web page that we have written seeing not only its content but also the forest for the trees as well as the ebb and flow in the meanings to an otherwise bland list of words.
–
JJW
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I just saw this thread. It’s interesting.
I don’t exactly like to see markdown formatting, but I can live with it. I’ve got Typora and UpNote and oddly enough, I’d much rather use UpNote to do my writing, because it hides the markdown formatting and has so many easy to use formatting options.
If I want to use what I write in UpNote someplace else, I’ll dump it in Typora as markdown in a heartbeat. Typora uses pandoc for export which I already have installed through homebrew.