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Home/Categories/Developer Tools/showmd
icon of showmd

showmd

Open source alternative to Marked 2, Typora and iA Writer

  • 58 stars
  • MIT
  • Active this month
  • Last commit 9 days ago

Last verified Oct 21, 2026

The most readable way to preview any .md file on macOS.

Visit websiteGitHub58 stars
image of showmd
TL;DR

showmd is a native macOS Quick Look extension for previewing Markdown files directly from Finder. It replaces opening a full editor just to inspect README files, notes, and documentation, with GitHub Flavored Markdown rendering, YAML frontmatter support, dark mode, and offline syntax highlighting.

Read the full breakdownHide the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ
who it's for

Who showmd is for#

Developers checking README files

showmd helps developers scan repository docs, changelog notes, and Markdown specs from Finder before opening a project.

Skip if:

Your Markdown workflow already happens inside a full editor with live preview.

Writers organizing local notes

The Quick Look flow works well for people who keep Markdown notes in folders and need fast visual previews while sorting files.

Skip if:

You need sync, backlinks, or a full knowledge base app.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Markdown files are easy to write but awkward to inspect quickly on macOS. Finder previews often show raw text, while opening a full editor interrupts the flow when all you need is to check a README, project note, or documentation draft.

Developers and writers who keep many Markdown files also need previews that respect tables, task lists, code fences, and frontmatter. Without a native previewer, the review step becomes slower than the file format should require.

how showmd solves it

How it solves it#

Native Quick Look preview

showmd works through macOS Quick Look, so pressing Space in Finder renders a Markdown file without opening a separate editor or browser tab.

GitHub Flavored Markdown rendering

The README lists support for tables, task lists, strikethrough, and fenced code blocks, which covers the Markdown syntax used in most project documentation.

Offline syntax highlighting

showmd bundles highlight.js support for more than 190 languages, giving local code-block previews without sending file contents to a hosted renderer.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Fits the macOS file workflowThe Quick Look integration keeps Markdown review inside Finder, which is faster than launching VS Code, Obsidian, or a browser for every small file.
  • Useful for technical MarkdownFrontmatter tables, fenced code highlighting, and GitHub-style syntax make showmd better suited to developer docs than a plain text preview.

Trade-offs

  • -macOS-only preview toolshowmd is built for macOS Quick Look and requires macOS 26 or later, so it is not a cross-device Markdown reader for Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android teams.
install · quick start

Quick start#

bash
brew install --cask johannesnagl/tap/showmd
tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
Swift
frequently asked

FAQ#

What does showmd do?

showmd renders Markdown files in macOS Quick Look. Press Space in Finder and the file displays as formatted Markdown instead of raw text.

Does showmd work offline?

Yes. The README states that Markdown rendering and syntax highlighting are bundled locally, so file previews do not need an internet connection.

How do you install showmd?

The official README recommends installing showmd with Homebrew, then enabling the Quick Look extension in macOS System Settings.

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