The best Markdown editor for AI depends on what you want the AI to do. If you want ChatGPT or Claude to write and change your files for you, pick an editor where the AI works in the same files you see: Ritemark if you write documents, VS Code if you write next to code. If your notes already live in Obsidian, add an AI plugin there. If you want AI out of your writing, Typora or iA Writer.
We make Ritemark, so read this with that in mind. The tools are listed in alphabetical order, not as a ranking, and each one says who it suits and when to pick something else. We checked the facts and prices on each maker's own pages on 29 October 2026, with Ritemark 2.1.0 and VS Code 1.138.0 installed; Obsidian's current version is 1.14.5. We did not run the same task in every app. Written with the help of AI and checked against each source before publishing. How we test.
Which one for which job
| Your job | Pick |
|---|---|
| Have ChatGPT or Claude write and edit your documents, in your own folder | Ritemark |
| Write docs next to code, with AI in the same window | VS Code |
| Keep your notes in Obsidian and add AI to them | Obsidian with a community AI plugin |
| Write with no AI and no plugins, in one clean pane | Typora |
| Write yourself, and see which parts came from AI | iA Writer |
Want ChatGPT or Claude working in your own documents? Try Ritemark, it's free.
iA Writer
Best for: writing yourself, and seeing which parts came from AI.
iA Writer's AI feature is Authorship: it tracks what you typed and what you pasted, and shows text from AI in colour. That is the opposite job to having an AI edit your files.
Price: $49.99 once for Mac, $29.99 once for Windows, and $49.99 once for iPhone and iPad. No subscription on these platforms.
Pick something else if you want the AI to write or change your documents.
Obsidian
Best for: people who already keep their notes in an Obsidian vault.
Obsidian stores notes as local Markdown files and has a large library of community plugins. AI is not part of the app itself: none of its 29 core plugins is an AI assistant, and it has no terminal inside the app. Plugins add it. One of them, Copilot for Obsidian by Brevilabs, brings Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode into your vault, and it is free to use with your own AI account. Since version 1.12, Obsidian also has a command-line tool, so AI tools in your own terminal can control the app while it runs. An Obsidian vault is a plain folder, so you can also open it in Ritemark and let ChatGPT or Claude work in it, which is one way to build a second brain for AI agents.
Price: The app is free. Sync costs $4 per user a month billed yearly ($5 monthly), and Publish $8 per site a month billed yearly ($10 monthly).
Privacy: Files are on your computer by default. Sync, Publish and AI plugins that use an online AI send data off your computer.
Pick something else if you want the AI to work in your files without choosing and setting up plugins.
Ritemark
Best for: people who write documents and want ChatGPT or Claude to work in them.
Ritemark is a free, open-source Markdown editor for Mac and Windows. You open a folder, and ChatGPT, Claude or OpenCode (which runs open AI models) works in your files on its own sheet beside the document: it reads them, and writes and changes them when you ask. With Plan only on, ChatGPT and Claude show their plan first and change nothing until you approve. There is a task board for giving the AI longer jobs, and a terminal as a tab if you want one. Formulas from ChatGPT and Claude show as real formulas, and you can share a document as a PDF or Word file.
Price: Ritemark is free. The AI runs on your own account: any ChatGPT plan works, Free included; Claude needs a paid plan; OpenCode uses a key you buy from an AI company (an API key).
Privacy: Your files stay on your computer. What the AI reads is sent to the AI company you chose when you ask it something, or when a task or scheduled flow you set up runs. Anonymous usage data is on by default, and you can turn it off.
Pick something else if you work in a code editor all day (VS Code), you want a large library of plugins for linking notes and seeing them as a graph (Obsidian), you write on Linux (Typora) or on your phone (iA Writer), or you don't want AI in your writing (Typora, iA Writer).
Typora
Best for: writing without AI or plugins, in one clean pane.
Typora shows formatted Markdown as you type, in a single pane. It has no AI feature and no plugin system, so any AI work happens in another app.
Price: $14.99 once, plus tax, for up to 3 devices on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Privacy: Files are on your computer, and nothing goes to an AI through Typora.
Pick something else if you want the AI to work in your files.
VS Code
Best for: people who write documentation next to code.
VS Code has AI built in: suggestions as you type, a chat beside your files, and an agents window for longer tasks. It works with GitHub Copilot, or with Claude or Codex as the agent, through your Copilot plan, an AI account or an API key. Its built-in terminal also runs AI tools you start by typing commands.
Price: VS Code is free. Copilot has a free plan, Pro at $10, Pro+ at $39 and Max at $100 a month.
Privacy: Files are on your computer. What the AI reads goes to the company behind the agent you use. VS Code sends usage data by default, and you can turn it off in its settings.
Pick something else if you write documents rather than code. VS Code shows Markdown as code by default, with the formatted view in a preview; its editor for formatted Markdown is still experimental.
Compared
| Tool | AI in the app | Works in your files | Terminal | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iA Writer | Authorship marks AI text | No | No | $29.99 to $49.99 once |
| Obsidian | Through community plugins | Through plugins | No | Free; Sync $4 to $5, Publish $8 to $10 a month |
| Ritemark | ChatGPT, Claude, OpenCode | Yes | Yes, as a tab | Free; AI on your own account |
| Typora | None | No | No | $14.99 once |
| VS Code | Copilot, Claude or Codex agents | Yes | Yes | Free; Copilot free or $10 to $100 a month |
To see how an AI works in a folder of files in practice, read the AI agent setup guide or the guide to Markdown editors with a built-in terminal. For ChatGPT in particular, see the best ChatGPT-compatible Markdown editor. For free apps without AI, see the best free local-first writing app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can AI edit my Markdown files directly in Obsidian?
Not without a plugin. Obsidian has no AI of its own. Community plugins add it: Copilot for Obsidian, for example, brings Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode into your vault. Because a vault is a plain folder, you can also open it in an editor where the AI is built in.
Does VS Code work with Claude or ChatGPT's Codex?
Yes. VS Code's built-in AI works with Copilot, Claude or Codex as the agent, and its terminal runs AI tools you start by typing commands.
Does Typora have AI?
No. Typora has no AI feature and no plugin system.
Does iA Writer have AI?
Only to mark it. iA Writer's Authorship shows which text you typed and which came from AI. It does not write or edit for you.
Is Ritemark really free?
Yes. Ritemark has no licence fee and no subscription. If you use the AI, it runs on your own account: any ChatGPT plan, Free included, a paid Claude plan, or your own API key for OpenCode.
Do I need to know how to code to use AI in my files?
No. In Ritemark you write your request in plain words on the AI's sheet. VS Code's chat takes plain words too, but the app around it is made for developers.
Which of these is the most private?
All five keep your files on your computer by default. The difference is the AI: in Ritemark and VS Code, what the AI reads goes to the AI company you chose. Typora and iA Writer send nothing to an AI. Ritemark and VS Code also send usage data by default, and both let you turn it off.
What changed on 29 October 2026: we no longer rank the tools, and list them in alphabetical order with who each one suits. We added VS Code's built-in AI and Copilot's current plans, and removed Cody, which ended for individual users on 23 July 2025, and Continue, which Cursor acquired. Later the same day we added Obsidian's command-line tool and the Copilot for Obsidian plugin, which runs Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode in a vault.
Start writing with Ritemark.
Free and open source. Mac and Windows.