When comparing Byword vs Cloak, the Slant community recommends Cloak for most people. In the question“What are the best power user tools for macOS?” Cloak is ranked 27th while Byword is ranked 33rd. The most important reason people chose Cloak is:
SSL pinning protects against some forms of man-in-the-middle attacks that even SSL encrypted traffic is vulnerable to. Not long ago, iOS did not allow for pinning but that may have changed more recently.
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Pros
Pro Word count support
Pro A dark theme is available
Pro Can publish directly to external services
Pro Can export to html, pdf, rtf
In addition to plaintext, Byword can export to HTML, PDF, RTF.
Pro Exemplary Markdown support
Byword de-emphasizes the syntax itself, while emphasizing its effects. It appropriately adds style, like italic and bold, to text that's designated by markdown and dims the syntax so it does not getting in the way of comprehension. Additionally, there are commonly used hotkeys (⌘b, ⌘i, etc) that can be used to apply style without having to know the syntax or having to type it out each time.
Pro Includes features that speed up writing
For example, while authoring a bulleted list hitting return automatically prepares a new bulleted line.
Pro Available for all Apple devices
Byword is available on a Mac, an iPhone and an iPad.
Pro Syncs using iCloud and Dropbox
Documents can be synced using iCloud or Dropbox from within the editor for use across all devices.
Pro Live update support
Pro Does SSL Pinning on OS X
SSL pinning protects against some forms of man-in-the-middle attacks that even SSL encrypted traffic is vulnerable to. Not long ago, iOS did not allow for pinning but that may have changed more recently.
Pro Responsive developer
The developer of Cloak is extremely responsive to feedback and quick to answer questions or support requests.
Pro Senses Trusted WiFi networks
Cloak can be set to not use the VPN on whitelisted WiFI SSIDs (like home/work).
Pro Unlimited devices (as long as they're OSX/iOS)
Unlimited devices and data per account, so you can connect up the whole family or office on one account if you so choose.