MacMD Viewer vs Marked QL: Preview in Finder, or a Reader (2026)
Marked QL is a $9.99 Quick Look extension from the author of Marked, running back to macOS 13. It previews. MacMD Viewer previews and reads. Where each one ends.
MacMD Viewer is a native SwiftUI Markdown viewer — open any .md file and it renders instantly with Mermaid diagrams, syntax highlighting, and a QuickLook extension for Finder. No Chromium, no subscription, no account. $19.99 one-time.
Learn more about Marked QL on their official site, or see all MacMD Viewer features.
- Running on 250+ Macs
- Reviewed on Trustpilot
- On Homebrew & Setapp
If what you want is a rendered preview when you press Space in Finder — with math, diagrams and syntax highlighting — Marked QL does exactly that for $9.99, runs back to macOS 13, and comes from the developer of Marked. MacMD Viewer costs twice as much and earns it only when the preview stops being enough: a reading window with 12 themes, live reload, and folder browsing that a Quick Look panel cannot give you.
How Does MacMD Viewer Compare to Marked QL?
| Feature | MacMD Viewer | Marked QL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 one-time | $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store) |
| What it is | Reading app + Quick Look extension | Quick Look extension — companion to Marked, works without it |
| Standalone reading window | Yes | No — the preview is the product |
| Minimum macOS | 14.0 | 13.0 |
| App size | 5.4 MB DMG, 16 MB installed | 3.9 MB (App Store listing) |
| LaTeX / math | No | Yes — announced by its developer |
| Mermaid diagrams | Yes — bundled, offline, also inside Quick Look | Diagrams announced; verify the flavour you need before buying |
| Markdown processor | GitHub-flavoured | Apex — combines CommonMark, GFM and other flavours |
| Document themes | 12 built-in | Shares Marked's preview preferences when Marked is installed |
| Live reload while reading | Yes — file watcher in the reading window | Not applicable — a Quick Look panel is a glance, not a session |
| Folder browsing | Library window | No |
| Distribution | Direct DMG, Homebrew cask, Setapp | Mac App Store only |
| Version and age | 1.6.x, on sale since March 2026 | 1.0.12, first released 2026-07-09 |
| Developer | Arthur Teboul, solo | Brett Terpstra, author of Marked |
$19.99 one-time · 14-day money-back · No subscription
What Does Each Tool Cost Over Time?
| Period | MacMD Viewer | Marked QL |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $19.99 | $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store) |
| After 1 year | $19.99 | $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store) |
| After 3 years | $19.99 | $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store) |
Both MacMD Viewer and Marked QL are one-time purchases. No recurring costs.
What Are the Pros and Cons?
MacMD Viewer
Pros
- +A real reading window, not only a preview panel — the thing a Quick Look extension deliberately is not
- +12 selectable document themes with no dependency on another app being installed
- +Live reload, so a document an agent is writing re-renders as you watch it
- +Library window for browsing a folder of Markdown files
- +Installs outside the App Store — direct DMG, Homebrew, Setapp
- +Mermaid renders offline because the library ships inside the app and the extension
Cons
- -$19.99 against $9.99
- -Requires macOS 14; Marked QL runs on macOS 13
- -No math rendering at all; Marked QL renders it
- -Its Apex processor covers more Markdown flavours than the GitHub-flavoured rendering here
- -Marked QL is 3.9 MB and comes from a developer with two decades of Markdown tooling behind him
Marked QL
Pros
- +$9.99 one-time on the Mac App Store, no subscription
- +Runs on macOS 13, a year further back than MacMD Viewer
- +3.9 MB
- +Renders math, diagrams and syntax highlighting inside the Finder preview
- +Apex, its Markdown processor, combines CommonMark, GFM and other flavours in one renderer
- +Pairs with Marked when you have it — shared preview preferences and an Open in Marked button — and works standalone when you do not
- +Built by Brett Terpstra, the developer of Marked
Cons
- -It is a Quick Look extension, not an app — there is no reading window, and that is the design, not a gap
- -Mac App Store only; no direct download, no Homebrew, no Setapp
- -Version 1.0.12, first released 2026-07-09, so the maintenance record is short even though the author's is not
- -Getting the full application experience means also buying Marked, which is a separate purchase
When Should You Choose Marked QL vs MacMD Viewer?
Choose Marked QL if:
- →You need to write and edit Markdown files, not just read them
- →You work across Mac, Windows, and Linux
- →You prefer a WYSIWYG or split-pane editing experience
Choose MacMD Viewer if:
- →You primarily read and review Markdown files, not write them
- →You want QuickLook preview: press Space in Finder to see any .md file rendered
- →You need Mermaid diagram rendering without plugins or configuration
- →You want a native macOS app that launches instantly and uses minimal resources
$19.99 one-time · 14-day money-back · No subscription
MacMD Viewer vs Marked QL: which one do you actually need?
Marked QL is a Quick Look extension: select a .md file in Finder, press Space, and it renders — math, diagrams, syntax highlighting. It costs $9.99 on the Mac App Store, weighs 3.9 MB, runs on macOS 13 or later, and was first released on 2026-07-09 (Apple's App Store API, checked 2026-08-11). Its developer is Brett Terpstra, who also makes Marked.
I am Arthur, the solo developer of MacMD Viewer, $19.99. If your question is "how do I get a rendered Markdown preview in Finder", Marked QL answers it for half my price and on a wider range of Macs, and you can stop reading here.
The one distinction that decides this
Marked QL previews. MacMD Viewer previews and reads.
That is not a feature-count argument, it is a difference in what the two things are. A Quick Look panel is modal: it opens over Finder, and it dismisses the moment you click elsewhere. It is built for a glance — is this the right file, what does this README say, does this spec mention the endpoint. For that job it is better than opening an app, and Marked QL does it well.
A reading window is where you stay. It keeps document themes, an outline you navigate, a file watcher that re-renders when an editor or an agent saves, and a Library for moving through a folder of files. None of that fits in a preview panel, and none of it is what a preview panel is trying to be.
So the question is not which app is better. It is whether your Markdown gets glanced at or read.
Where Marked QL is ahead
On price, at $9.99 against $19.99. On reach, at macOS 13 against my macOS 14 — a full release further back. On size, 3.9 MB. On math, which it renders and I do not. And on its Markdown processor: Apex is built to combine CommonMark, GFM and other flavours in one renderer, where MacMD Viewer renders GitHub-flavoured Markdown.
There is also something I cannot buy. Brett Terpstra has spent two decades building Markdown tooling on the Mac, and Marked is part of how a lot of people learned to work with the format. If you already own Marked, Marked QL shares its preview preferences and adds a button to open the file in the full app. That is an integration I have no equivalent for.
Where the $19.99 goes
A window you can stay in, with 12 document themes that do not depend on another app being installed. Live reload — the reason this matters is specific: when a coding agent rewrites a file you have open, the window re-renders instead of showing you a stale document, and a preview panel you dismissed cannot do that. A Library window for browsing a folder. Native document tabs. And installation outside the App Store: a direct notarized DMG, brew install --cask macmd-viewer, or Setapp.
A correction I owe this page
Quick Look integration is not a MacMD Viewer advantage on its own, and this site should never suggest it is. As of 2026-08-11 there are at least five Quick Look extensions that render Markdown: QLMarkdown (free), Anybox's Markdown Preview ($1.99), PreviewMarkdown ($2.99), Marked QL ($9.99), and the one inside Markdown Better View. Four of them are cheaper than MacMD Viewer and one is free.
What is true is narrower and worth saying plainly: MacMD Viewer is one of the few that puts the same renderer in both places, so a Mermaid diagram looks identical in the Finder preview and in the reading window, offline, because the library ships inside both.
The recommendation
Buy Marked QL if you want a preview in Finder, you are on macOS 13, your documents contain math, or you already use Marked.
Buy MacMD Viewer if the preview keeps not being enough — if you find yourself pressing Space, reading two paragraphs, and wishing the panel would stay.
Related: MacMD Viewer vs QLMarkdown · vs Markdown Better View · vs Marked 2 · all comparisons
Both apps render CommonMark-compliant Markdown with GitHub Flavored Markdown extensions including tables and task lists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MacMD Viewer better than Marked QL?
If what you want is a rendered preview when you press Space in Finder — with math, diagrams and syntax highlighting — Marked QL does exactly that for $9.99, runs back to macOS 13, and comes from the developer of Marked. MacMD Viewer costs twice as much and earns it only when the preview stops being enough: a reading window with 12 themes, live reload, and folder browsing that a Quick Look panel cannot give you.
How much does Marked QL cost?
Marked QL costs $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store). MacMD Viewer costs $19.99 one-time with no subscription.
Does Marked QL support Mermaid diagrams?
No, Marked QL does not support Mermaid diagrams. MacMD Viewer renders Mermaid flowcharts, sequence diagrams, state diagrams, and Gantt charts inline.
Can I use Marked QL and MacMD Viewer together?
Yes. Many developers write in Marked QL and use MacMD Viewer for reading and QuickLook preview. MacMD Viewer watches files live, so edits made in any other app appear instantly.
Does Marked QL support Apple Silicon natively?
Marked QL supports Apple Silicon natively. MacMD Viewer is also built with SwiftUI and runs natively on Apple Silicon.
Which is better for developers, Marked QL or MacMD Viewer?
It depends on your workflow. Marked QL is designed for previewing alongside your editor. MacMD Viewer is designed for reading. Open any .md file with rendered Mermaid diagrams, syntax highlighting, and a QuickLook extension. Most developers use both: an editor for writing and MacMD Viewer for reading.