Shiny Frog, the team behind the popular Bear note-taking app, has released Lettera in beta. This standalone Markdown editor for macOS addresses user requests for a dedicated writing tool separate from Bear's ecosystem. The app leverages the same editor technology introduced in Bear 2.0, which brought significant Markdown enhancements including syntax hiding and extension support.

Lettera targets writers, researchers, and developers who need robust document handling from blog drafts to technical documentation. Users can open individual Markdown files or entire folder workspaces, with iCloud integration by default but local file support available. The editor follows the CommonMark standard with live rendering that conceals syntax during regular writing.

A dedicated formatting bar provides quick access to styling options, while the editor supports tables, footnotes, YAML frontmatter, and mathematical formulas through MathJax rendering. File management happens directly from the sidebar, and documents open in tabs for multitasking. Export capabilities include PDF, ePub, JPG, and standard text formats for easy sharing.

Lettera is currently available through TestFlight for beta testing, allowing users to provide feedback that will shape the final product. The developers have created a dedicated section on the Bear Community forum for user discussions and feature requests as development continues.