showmd
Claim this toolThe most readable way to preview any .md file on macOS, enhancing Quick Look with rich rendering.
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Tracked since 2026
The Bottom Line
- Price
- Free, no paid tier. Compare plans
Key facts
- Enhances macOS Quick Look to beautifully render Markdown files.
- Supports GitHub Flavored Markdown, LaTeX, Mermaid diagrams, and AI-specific XML tags.
- Provides instant, private, and native previewing without bloat.
Pros
- Significantly improves Markdown preview readability on macOS
- Supports advanced Markdown features like LaTeX and Mermaid diagrams
- Integrates seamlessly with macOS Quick Look for instant access
- Open-source, free, and privacy-focused with no data collection
- Lightweight and fast, designed purely for viewing
Cons
- Only available for macOS
- Not an editor or note-taking app, purely a viewer
What is showmd?
showmd is a macOS application designed to significantly improve the preview experience for Markdown (.md) files. Unlike the default macOS Quick Look, which displays raw Markdown text, showmd renders Markdown files beautifully, including GitHub Flavored Markdown, LaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams, and even custom XML tags often found in AI prompts. It aims to solve the problem of unreadable Markdown files, especially those containing complex structures like frontmatter, code blocks, and diagrams.
This tool is ideal for developers, writers, AI engineers, and anyone who frequently works with Markdown files on macOS and needs a quick, accurate, and visually appealing way to preview them without opening a full editor. It integrates seamlessly with macOS Quick Look, allowing users to instantly preview files by pressing the Spacebar in Finder. showmd is built to be lightweight and fast, focusing solely on viewing without the bloat of editing or note-taking features, ensuring a zero-friction experience.
Available on: macOS
Key Features
- Instant Quick Look preview for Markdown files
- macOS native design with dark mode and system font support
- Full GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) rendering
- YAML frontmatter parsed into a collapsible metadata table
- Toggle between rendered view and raw source
- Copy rendered content as HTML
- Private by default with no cloud, uploads, or telemetry
- Syntax highlighting for 190+ code languages
Pricing
Free
showmd is completely free to use with no hidden costs.
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showmd FAQ
How does showmd improve upon the default macOS Quick Look for Markdown files?
The default macOS Quick Look displays Markdown files as raw text, including all formatting characters like hashes and asterisks. showmd, however, renders these files beautifully, showing the formatted text, tables, images, code blocks with syntax highlighting, LaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams, and even special AI-specific XML tags, making them much more readable.
What specific types of advanced content can showmd render that other previewers might miss?
showmd is unique in its ability to render YAML frontmatter as a collapsible metadata table, display Agentic AI XML tags (like <instructions>, <example>) as labeled blocks, and render both LaTeX math expressions and Mermaid diagrams directly within the preview, which typically appear as raw code in other viewers.
Is showmd a Markdown editor or a note-taking application?
No, showmd is specifically designed as a lightweight Markdown viewer. It is not an editor or a note-taking application, focusing solely on providing an instant and readable preview experience without any bloat.
How do I install and enable showmd on my macOS system?
You can install showmd via Homebrew using
brew install --cask johannesnagl/tap/showmd or by direct download of the .dmg file. After opening the app once, you need to enable it in System Settings by navigating to Privacy & Security → Extensions → Quick Look and toggling showmd on. macOS will also prompt for permission to 'access data from other apps' on first launch, which you should allow.Does showmd support all common Markdown file extensions?
Yes, showmd supports a wide range of Markdown file extensions including .md, .markdown, .mdx, .mdc, .rmd, .qmd, .mdown, .mkd, and .mkdn, ensuring comprehensive compatibility for various Markdown flavors.
Can I switch between the rendered view and the raw source of a Markdown file within showmd?
Yes, showmd provides a convenient toggle that allows you to switch between the beautifully rendered Markdown view and the raw source text of the file with a single click. You can also copy the rendered content as HTML at any time.
Source: showmd.yetanother.one