Recommended Markdown Viewers

While many Markdown editors include preview functionality, dedicated Markdown viewers offer specialized features for reading and presenting Markdown documents. This guide recommends various types of Markdown viewers to enhance your reading experience.

Desktop Viewers

Marked 2

Professional Markdown previewer for macOS

Features:

• ✅ Real-time preview with multiple rendering engines
• ✅ Export to PDF, HTML, and other formats
• ✅ Custom CSS support
• ✅ Keyboard shortcuts for efficient navigation
• ✅ Integration with popular editors

Best for:

• Professional document review
• Presentation preparation
• Detailed formatting checking

Price: Paid software (about $14.99) Platforms: macOS

Haroopad

Versatile Markdown viewer and editor

Features:

• ✅ Split view with synchronized scrolling
• ✅ Syntax highlighting for code blocks
• ✅ Table support and mathematical formulas
• ✅ Export to HTML and PDF
• ✅ Lightweight and fast

Best for:

• Quick document preview
• Code documentation review
• Academic paper reading

Price: Free Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Markdown Monster

Powerful Markdown editor and viewer

Features:

• ✅ Live preview with syntax highlighting
• ✅ HTML preview with embedded browser
• ✅ Custom theme support
• ✅ Image paste and drag-and-drop
• ✅ Git integration

Best for:

• Technical documentation
• Blog post preview
• Software documentation review

Price: Paid ($24), free trial available Platforms: Windows

Browser Extensions

Markdown Preview Plus

Browser extension for viewing Markdown files

Features:

• ✅ Preview Markdown files directly in the browser
• ✅ Custom CSS styling
• ✅ Syntax highlighting
• ✅ Keyboard shortcuts
• ✅ Offline support

Best for:

• Quick preview of local Markdown files
• GitHub README viewing
• Web-based documentation review

Price: Free Browsers: Chrome, Firefox

Markdown Viewer

Simple and fast extension

Features:

• ✅ One-click Markdown rendering
• ✅ Dark mode support
• ✅ Adjustable font size
• ✅ Copy rendered HTML
• ✅ No external dependencies

Best for:

• Lightweight preview needs
• Fast document checking
• Minimalist users

Price: Free Browsers: Chrome, Firefox

StackEdit

Online editor with powerful preview

Features:

• ✅ Rich Markdown preview
• ✅ Cloud synchronization
• ✅ Offline mode
• ✅ Collaborative editing
• ✅ Export to multiple formats

Best for:

• Cross-device preview
• Team collaboration
• Online document sharing

Price: Free Browsers: All modern browsers

Web-Based Viewers

Dillinger

Cloud-based Markdown viewer and editor

Features:

• ✅ Real-time Markdown preview
• ✅ Cloud storage integration (Dropbox, Google Drive)
• ✅ Multiple export options
• ✅ Syntax highlighting
• ✅ No installation required

Best for:

• Quick online preview
• Document sharing
• Cross-platform access

Price: Free Link: https://dillinger.io/

Markdown Live Preview

Simple online viewer

Features:

• ✅ Clean interface with split view
• ✅ Real-time rendering
• ✅ Code syntax highlighting
• ✅ Easy copy/paste functionality

Best for:

• Rapid preview needs
• Paste and preview scenarios
• Simple document checking

Price: Free Link: https://www.markdownlang.com/editor/

HackMD

Collaborative Markdown platform

Features:

• ✅ Real-time collaboration
• ✅ Presentation mode
• ✅ Version history
• ✅ Rich preview with math support

Best for:

• Team document review
• Meeting notes
• Collaborative writing sessions

Price: Free for basic use Link: https://hackmd.io/

Mobile Viewers

iOS

iA Writer

• ✅ Clean reading experience
• ✅ Dark mode
• ✅ Cloud sync
• ✅ Focus mode for distraction-free reading

Ulysses

• ✅ Elegant reader interface
• ✅ Organization features
• ✅ Multiple export options
• ✅ Markdown preview

Android

Markor

• ✅ Open source and free
• ✅ Local file support
• ✅ Dark theme
• ✅ Syntax highlighting

JotterPad

• ✅ Clean reading view
• ✅ Cloud synchronization
• ✅ Markdown preview
• ✅ Export functionality

Command-Line Viewers

Glow

Command-line Markdown renderer

Features:

• ✅ Syntax highlighting
• ✅ Theme support
• ✅ Table formatting
• ✅ Pipe support for streaming content

Best for:

• Terminal users
• Server environments
• Quick file checks

Installation:

# Using Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
brew install glow

# Using scoop (Windows)
scoop install glow

Usage:

# View a Markdown file
glow README.md

# View from stdin
echo "# Hello" | glow

Pandoc

Universal document converter

Features:

• ✅ Convert Markdown to HTML for viewing
• ✅ Support for multiple Markdown flavors
• ✅ Extensive customization options
• ✅ Integration with other tools

Best for:

• Advanced users
• Batch conversion
• Custom rendering needs

Installation:

# Using Homebrew
brew install pandoc

# Using apt
sudo apt install pandoc

Usage:

# Convert to HTML and view
pandoc README.md -o README.html
open README.html

Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Viewers

Visual Studio Code

Built-in Markdown preview

Features:

• ✅ Side-by-side preview
• ✅ Synchronized scrolling
• ✅ Custom CSS support
• ✅ Math formula rendering
• ✅ Extensible with plugins

Recommended extensions:

• Markdown Preview Enhanced
• Markdownlint
• Paste Image

Best for:

• Developers
• Technical writers
• Software documentation

IntelliJ IDEA

IDE with Markdown support

Features:

• ✅ Live preview
• ✅ Syntax highlighting
• ✅ Table editor
• ✅ Export to HTML and PDF

Best for:

• Java developers
• Project documentation
• Team environments

Selection Guide

Choose by Use Case

Scenario	Recommended Viewers	Reason
Professional review	Marked 2, Markdown Monster	Advanced features, export options
Quick checks	Browser extensions	Instant access, no installation
Terminal usage	Glow, Pandoc	Command-line efficiency
Mobile reading	iA Writer, Markor	Mobile optimization, sync
Team collaboration	HackMD, StackEdit	Real-time collaboration

Choose by Technical Level

Beginners:

• Browser extensions (simple and accessible)
• Online viewers (no installation needed)
• Desktop apps like Haroopad (user-friendly)

Intermediate users:

• Marked 2 (professional features)
• VS Code with extensions (customizable)
• Glow (terminal efficiency)

Advanced users:

• Pandoc (advanced customization)
• Custom toolchains
• IDE integrations

Choose by Budget

Free:

• Browser extensions
• Online viewers (Dillinger, StackEdit)
• Command-line tools (Glow, Pandoc)
• Open source desktop apps (Haroopad, Markor)

Paid but worth it:

• Marked 2 ($14.99)
• Markdown Monster ($24)
• iA Writer (mobile app)

Optimization Tips

Custom CSS for Viewers

/* Example custom CSS for better readability */
body {
  font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
  line-height: 1.6;
  color: #333;
  max-width: 800px;
  margin: 0 auto;
  padding: 20px;
  background-color: #f8f9fa;
}

h1, h2, h3 {
  color: #2c3e50;
  margin-top: 1.5em;
  margin-bottom: 0.5em;
}

code {
  background-color: #e9ecef;
  padding: 0.2em 0.4em;
  border-radius: 3px;
  font-family: 'Courier New', monospace;
}

pre {
  background-color: #e9ecef;
  padding: 1em;
  border-radius: 5px;
  overflow-x: auto;
}

table {
  border-collapse: collapse;
  width: 100%;
  margin-bottom: 1em;
}

table, th, td {
  border: 1px solid #dee2e6;
  padding: 8px;
}

th {
  background-color: #f1f3f5;
}

Keyboard Shortcuts

Common shortcuts across viewers:

• Ctrl/Cmd + R - Refresh preview
• Ctrl/Cmd + + - Increase font size
• Ctrl/Cmd + - - Decrease font size
• Ctrl/Cmd + 0 - Reset font size
• F11 - Fullscreen mode

Security Considerations

When using Markdown viewers:

• Be cautious with untrusted Markdown files (may contain malicious HTML)
• Avoid viewers that automatically execute JavaScript
• Use local viewers for sensitive documents
• Keep browser extensions updated

Auxiliary Tools

Image Optimization

• TinyPNG - Compress images for faster viewing
• PicGo - Manage images in Markdown files

Table Formatting

• Tables Generator - Create properly formatted tables
• Markdown Tables Generator - Visual table editor

Format Conversion

• Pandoc - Convert between formats
• kramdown - Process Markdown files

Next Steps

After choosing the right viewer:

• Learn Markdown syntax basics
• View the syntax cheatsheet
• Explore Markdown editors
• Learn how to convert Markdown to other formats

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Having the right Markdown viewer can significantly enhance your reading and reviewing experience. Whether you prefer desktop apps, browser extensions, or command-line tools, there's a Markdown viewer that fits your needs perfectly.