cyberWriter - Native macOS Markdown Editor with AI

TL;DR

TL;DR: cyberWriter is a native macOS Markdown editor built in Swift/SwiftUI that integrates Apple Intelligence for on-device AI, supports Obsidian-style vaults with wikilinks and backlinks, and renders LaTeX, Mermaid diagrams, and callouts — all without Electron or external plugins.

Source and Accuracy Notes

⚠️ This section is MANDATORY. All links must be verified from actual source, not guessed.

• Project page: cyberwriter.app — verified July 2026
• Source repository: github.com/uncSoft/cyberwriter-app — README read July 2026
• License: Proprietary (free trial, paid app from Mac App Store or direct)
• macOS requirement: macOS 15.0 Sequoia or later (Apple Silicon + Intel)
• HN launch thread: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=428 — original Show HN thread not recovered in this session; product is a Show HN launch

What Is cyberWriter?

cyberWriter is a macOS-native Markdown editor built entirely in Swift and SwiftUI — no Electron, no webviews for core rendering. It positions itself as a publication-focused alternative to Obsidian and VS Code, targeting writers, researchers, and engineers who want local AI without handing their notes to a third-party cloud.

The core pitch is a single app that handles the full Markdown publishing pipeline: live preview, AI-assisted writing via Apple Intelligence or any OpenAI-compatible API, a local RAG index for conversational search across your vault, and export to PDF, Word (.docx), and HTML — all without calling home.

It launched on Show HN in 2025/2026 and is developed by uncSoft.

Key Features

AI Workspace

cyberWriter’s AI is designed to be aware of your entire vault, not just the current document:

• Apple Intelligence on macOS 26+ — zero-config, fully on-device, no API key required
• Vault-aware chat — ask questions across all notes and get answers grounded in your own writing
• Document Map embeddings (RAG) — every note is semantically indexed for concept-level search
• Quick Actions via ⌘J — summarize, rewrite, explain, change tone, fix grammar, or continue writing
• Provider auto-discovery — connects to Ollama, LM Studio, MLX, vLLM, Claude, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint
• Stream-to-editor — AI output writes directly into your document live

File Vault (Obsidian-compatible)

cyberWriter reads and writes Obsidian-style vaults without migration:

• [[wikilinks]] with hover preview and full backlinks panel
• ![[image.png]] and ![[recording.m4a]] embeds
• #tags rendered as styled pills, extracted from body and YAML frontmatter
• 12+ callout block types (> [!note], > [!tip], etc.)
• Quick switcher and drag-and-drop wikilink insertion

Knowledge Graph

A 3D force-directed graph of all vault wikilinks. Hover to preview, click to navigate, or enter tour mode in a floating window.

Rendering Engine

• KaTeX for math — inline $...$ and display $$...$$
• Mermaid — 16 diagram types with dark-mode theming and YAML config
• Inline HTML/CSS, footnotes, YAML frontmatter
• SVG in PDF, PNG in DOCX, interactive in HTML export

Slides and Flash Cards

Split any document into a slideshow (--- or heading dividers) or a flashcard deck (??? for Q/A separation).

Export

• PDF with proper typesetting, Mermaid diagrams rendered as SVG
• Word (.docx) with Mermaid as PNG
• HTML with interactive diagrams

Setup

Download and Install

cyberWriter requires macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later. Two install options:

Option 1 — Mac App Store (recommended for automatic updates):

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cyberwriter/id6758079118?mt=12

Option 2 — Direct Download (same app, Sparkle for updates):

# Download the latest release
https://github.com/uncSoft/cyberwriter-app/releases/latest/download/cyberWriter.dmg

# Open the .dmg and drag cyberWriter to Applications

Both editions are identical. The only difference is update mechanism: App Store uses system updates; direct download uses Sparkle.

7-Day Free Trial

No account required. The trial unlocks the full app with no feature restrictions.

Connect a Local LLM

1. Open cyberWriter and go to Settings → AI
2. Select a provider: Ollama, LM Studio, MLX, vLLM, or OpenAI-compatible
3. For Ollama, ensure the service is running locally (default http://localhost:11434)
4. cyberWriter auto-discovers available models; pick one from the dropdown
5. For Apple Intelligence, just upgrade to macOS 26+ — it activates automatically with no API key

Deeper Analysis

Why Native SwiftUI Matters

Most Markdown editors with AI features are Electron apps that bundle a full Chromium instance. cyberWriter’s SwiftUI architecture means the app cold-starts in under a second and uses a fraction of the RAM of Electron alternatives. The rendering pipeline calls system frameworks directly, which is why Mermaid diagrams and KaTeX math render without a bundler step.

Vault Portability

Because cyberWriter stores everything as plain .md files with standard wikilink syntax, there is zero lock-in. Open the same vault folder in Obsidian, Logseq, or any other app that reads Markdown. The AI index is stored separately in ~/.cyberwriter/embeddings/ and rebuilds automatically if you move the vault directory.

AI Privacy Model

When using Apple Intelligence, all inference runs on-device. For third-party API providers (Ollama, Claude via OpenRouter, etc.), your notes are sent to whichever endpoint you configure. cyberWriter itself does not operate a cloud service — there is no account, no telemetry, and no data leaves your machine except to the provider you explicitly choose.

Practical Evaluation Checklist

• [ ] macOS 15+ machine available (Apple Silicon or Intel)
• [ ] Downloaded from Mac App Store or direct DMG
• [ ] Opened .dmg and dragged to Applications (direct version)
• [ ] Created or opened a folder as a vault
• [ ] Tested ⌘J Quick Actions (summarize, rewrite)
• [ ] Confirmed Apple Intelligence activates without API key (macOS 26+)
• [ ] Tested Ollama connection if using a local model
• [ ] Created a wikilink [[note-name]] and verified backlinks panel
• [ ] Exported one document to PDF
• [ ] Verified vault opens in Obsidian without modification

Security Notes

• No Electron — reduces attack surface vs. Chromium-based editors
• No mandatory cloud account — the app works fully offline
• Apple Intelligence uses on-device inference only (macOS 26+)
• Third-party API providers — only used when you explicitly configure one; traffic goes directly to your chosen endpoint
• Sandboxed — App Store version runs under macOS sandboxing; direct download version may request broader file access for vault management

FAQ

Q: Does it work with an existing Obsidian vault? A: Yes. Point cyberWriter at any folder containing .md files and it reads existing wikilinks, tags, frontmatter, and callouts immediately. No conversion or migration step needed.

Q: Is Apple Intelligence required to use the AI features? A: No. Apple Intelligence is one supported provider. You can also connect to Ollama, LM Studio, MLX, vLLM, Claude (via OpenRouter), or any OpenAI-compatible API. The provider is configurable in Settings.

Q: How does it compare to Typora or iA Writer? A: Typora is Electron-based and discontinued. iA Writer has no vault system or local AI. cyberWriter fills the gap between plain Markdown editing and full PKM (personal knowledge management) tools like Obsidian — while staying native and local.

Q: Is there a Linux or Windows version? A: No. cyberWriter is macOS-only, built in Swift/SwiftUI. The developer has not announced cross-platform plans.

Q: Does the trial have feature restrictions? A: The 7-day free trial is the full app with no feature restrictions. After 7 days you need to purchase a license via the Mac App Store or direct (LemonSqueezy).

Conclusion

cyberWriter is a niche but well-targeted tool: macOS-only, native Swift/SwiftUI, AI that runs locally via Apple Intelligence or a self-hosted LLM, Obsidian vault compatibility, and a publishing-grade Markdown renderer that outputs PDF, Word, and HTML without external dependencies. For writers and engineers on Mac who want AI-assisted Markdown without Electron overhead or cloud dependency, it is worth the 7-day trial.

If you need cross-platform or want to use your vault on mobile, look at Obsidian instead. If you just want the fastest possible plain-text editor with focus mode, iA Writer still wins. But for the intersection of local AI, vault-based PKM, and native macOS performance, cyberWriter is purpose-built for exactly that.

Links:

• cyberwriter.app
• Mac App Store
• GitHub