Features
- Clean rendering of headings, tables, code blocks, and images
- Interactive checklists: click a checkbox and it saves straight to your file
- Syntax highlighting for fenced code blocks, fully offline
- LaTeX math typeset offline: $…$ inline and $$…$$ display equations
- Auto-reload when a document changes on disk, keeping your place
- Table of contents sidebar for long documents
- Full-text search with match navigation
- Zoom, print, and export to PDF
- Opens .md, .markdown, .mdown, .mkd, and .mkdn files
- One free download covers Mac, iPhone, and iPad
- Sandboxed and private: no accounts, no analytics, no data collection
Reading Markdown Should Be Effortless
Markdown files are everywhere — READMEs, notes, documentation — but Apple’s platforms have no built-in way to read them rendered. MarkDown Reader fixes that: double-click a .md file on your Mac, or tap one on your iPhone or iPad, and it opens as a beautifully formatted document. No editor chrome, no distractions, just your content.
Built for Real Documents
Long documents get an auto-generated table of contents sidebar so you can jump straight to any section. Full-text search finds every match with quick navigation between them. Zoom to your comfort, and when you need a copy outside the app, print it or export a polished PDF.
Checklists You Can Actually Check
Markdown task lists aren’t just for reading. Click a checkbox in the rendered document and the change is written straight back to your .md file — byte for byte, with no Save step. Keep a plan, a packing list, or a project tracker in plain Markdown and tick items off as you go.
A Live Preview, Not a Snapshot
Edit a document in your editor while MarkDown Reader has it open and the view refreshes on its own, keeping your scroll position. Fenced code blocks are syntax highlighted — entirely offline, so nothing about your code leaves your machine — and every block has a one-click Copy button.
Math That Renders
Notes, research write-ups, and documents generated by AI tools are full of LaTeX. MarkDown Reader typesets it the way VS Code and GitHub do: inline formulas between single dollar signs, display equations between double ones, all rendered offline. Ordinary prices like $5 stay plain text, and a formula with a typo shows in red instead of disappearing.
Which Markdown It Reads
MarkDown Reader follows CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown: tables, task lists, fenced code, math, inline HTML tags like <sup> and <details>, and more. We tested 52 features and publish the results, including the ones that don’t work yet. See the full Markdown support list.
Private by Design
MarkDown Reader runs in Apple’s App Sandbox and reads only the files you open. No accounts, no analytics, no data collection — your documents never leave your device.
Get It
Get it free on the App Store — one download covers Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Requires macOS 13 or later, or iOS/iPadOS 17 or later.
Need Help?
Questions, bug reports, or feature requests — get in touch and we’ll get back to you.