head to head · open source
MiaoYan vs Darkwrite
MiaoYan has 8,719 GitHub stars, 522 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Darkwrite has 320 stars, 15 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped 21 days ago. MiaoYan leads on adoption by 2,625% (8,719 vs 320 stars). MiaoYan is written in Swift under MIT; Darkwrite is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. MiaoYan has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Darkwrite 5%. MiaoYan was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (editor, macos, notes-app), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| MiaoYan | Darkwrite | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 8.7K | ★ 320 |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Swift | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-10-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 522 | ⑂ 15 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick MiaoYan if
- You weight community size — 8.7K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Darkwrite if
- You want the Darkwrite feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Darkwrite fits your workflow better
About MiaoYan
English 简体中文 MiaoYan Lightweight Markdown note taking app for macOS Features Fantastic : Local first, no data collection, split editor & preview, wikilink backlinks, LaTeX, Mermaid Beautiful : Minimalist design, three column layout, dark mode, macOS 26 glass, distraction free Fast : Swift 6 native, better performance than Electron based apps Simple : Lightweight, version history, keyboard shortcuts, auto formatting Installation 1. Mac App Store (paid, automatic updates): 2. Homebrew : 3. GitHub Releases : download the latest DMG from GitHub Releases (macOS 11.5+) All three options share the same codebase and…
read the full MiaoYan overview →
About Darkwrite
Follow on Twitter Download Darkwrite Report bugs 📓 Take notes the way you want. ✒️ Darkwrite lets you take notes without getting in your way. Head over to the releases page to get started. ⭐ Star this repository to know when we release new updates. 🖊️ Just start typing. 🖋️ Unleash the power of a rich editor which supports formatting, headings, todo lists, numbered lists, links, images, tables and much more. 🖌️ Make it yours. 🎨 Choose from the selection of included themes or create your own. Say goodbye to boring light and dark themes. ✒️ Pick the fonts you like. You can change the default styles for your…
read the full Darkwrite overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is MiaoYan or Darkwrite more popular?
MiaoYan has 8,719 GitHub stars and Darkwrite has 320. MiaoYan has the larger community by that measure.
Are MiaoYan and Darkwrite free?
Both are open source. MiaoYan is licensed under MIT and Darkwrite under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between MiaoYan and Darkwrite?
MiaoYan is written in Swift and Darkwrite in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, MiaoYan or Darkwrite?
Choose MiaoYan if you want the larger community (8,719 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Darkwrite if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.