Press Space on any .md file. See it rendered with headings, code blocks, tables, and diagrams — in your document theme. No app switch needed.
Install MacMD Viewer via direct download, Homebrew (brew install --cask macmd-viewer), or Setapp. The QuickLook extension is included automatically.
Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Extensions > QuickLook. Make sure "MacMD Viewer" is checked.
Navigate to any Markdown file in Finder, on your Desktop, or in Spotlight results.
The standard macOS QuickLook panel opens with your Markdown rendered: headings, code blocks, tables, Mermaid diagrams, all formatted.
Replaces the default plain-text preview for .md files system-wide. Works alongside other QuickLook extensions.
QuickLook is the built-in macOS feature that lets you preview any file by selecting it in Finder and pressing the Space bar. It works for images, PDFs, videos, and — with MacMD Viewer installed — Markdown (.md) files.
Install MacMD Viewer on macOS, enable its QuickLook extension in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Extensions > QuickLook, then select any .md file in Finder and press Space. The file renders with headings, code blocks, tables, and Mermaid diagrams.
The QuickLook extension ships with MacMD Viewer ($19.99 one-time). Once you've bought the app, the extension is included — no additional charge, no subscription.
Yes. The QuickLook extension renders Mermaid diagrams (flowcharts, sequence, class, ER, Gantt) inline in the preview, same as the main app.
Yes. Since v1.3, MacMD Viewer ships seven document themes (GitHub Light and Dark, Atom One Dark, Dracula, Tokyo Night, Solarized Light, Nord), and Finder previews follow the theme you pick in the app — background, typography, and code highlighting included. Note that Finder may keep older previews cached until macOS refreshes them.
MacMD Viewer and its QuickLook extension support macOS 14 Sonoma and later on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Yes — that's the point. Press Space on a .md file and it previews instantly. Press Space again or Esc to close. No app launch required.
Most don't. Popular editors like Typora and Obsidian, and the free Mac App Store viewers Telescopo and Smackdown, open files inside the app but do not register a Quick Look provider — so pressing Space in Finder shows raw Markdown text, not a rendered preview. MacMD Viewer is one of the few Mac apps that ships a QuickLook extension.
That usually means the QuickLook extension isn't enabled yet. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Extensions > Quick Look and make sure MacMD Viewer is checked. If it still shows plain text, log out and back in — or run qlmanage -r in Terminal — to reload macOS Quick Look generators.
One purchase includes the app, the QuickLook extension, and all future updates. Native SwiftUI, ~10 MB, macOS 14+.
14-day money-back guarantee · One-time purchase, no subscription