v1.0.0|Windows · macOS · Linux

Read Markdown files like webpages.

A 3 MB viewer & editor. Double-click any .md file to open it instantly, press F2 to edit.

mdpeek is a lightweight Markdown viewer & editor for Windows, macOS and Linux. Tabbed preview, live refresh, clean full-page reading. No account, no ads, 100% offline.

New mdpeek 2.0 — tabs, plus version history One window for every document, and an undo trail you can actually go back to
Download Free Star on GitHub

Free Community Edition · Pro $9.99 lifetime — one-time, per-device · No account · No ads · Files never leave your computer

notes.md — mdpeek
—
✕
mdpeek Markdown viewer rendering a .md file like a webpage — document outline panel on the left, headings, bullet lists, a command table and a syntax-highlighted code block on the right
1-minute demos

See mdpeek in action

Real screen recordings of the app itself — scripted, no cuts, no rendering tricks.

Double-click any .md file and read it — the outline tracks your position
Ctrl+F find, Ctrl+scroll font size, Alt+scroll column width

More demo videos on our YouTube channel

2.0 release · 2026-10

The biggest upgrade since v1.0

Two new capabilities change how you open and fix Markdown: one window for every document, and a way back when you edit the wrong thing. Single-file mode, your settings and your favorites all stay exactly as they were.

v1.0.196 v2.0.1
Community + Pro
New in 2.0

Tabbed preview: every document, one window

Specs, API notes, meeting minutes and AI drafts stop piling up in the taskbar. Each tab is its own WebView: switching does not re-render, so scroll position and F2 / F3 editing state stay exactly where you left them.

requirements.md× api-notes.md× +
Line 300 — still where you left it Ctrl+Tab
  • Double-click a file that is already open and mdpeek activates its tab instead of opening a second window
  • Ctrl+Tab cycles, Alt+1–9 jumps straight to a tab; drag to reorder, pin a tab, or close in bulk
  • Tabs, order and pinned state come back after a restart; background tabs are not pre-rendered, so cold start stays fast
Explore tabbed preview
Pro only
New in 2.0

Version history: undo that survives the window

Saving, an external edit, entering or leaving edit mode and closing the window all leave a snapshot; saves inside a 3-minute window merge into one. Restore in two clicks, and mdpeek keeps a copy of what it replaced.

Version historyLocal SQLite
Today 14:32 · Saved +12 −3
Today 13:58 · External edit +4 −0
Yesterday 21:07 · Before client +0 −18
  • Every restore first snapshots what is on disk, so picking the wrong version is itself undoable
  • Side-by-side or inline diff between any two versions; mdpeek --diff compares two files (Windows / Linux / macOS)
  • History lives in a local SQLite file — never uploaded, and untouched by upgrades or cache cleanup
Version history & diff

Already on 1.0.x? Install 2.0.1 over it — settings, favorites and recent files are kept. See the full changelog →

3 MB
Installer size
<1 s
Double-click to reading
Zero
Configuration needed
100%
Local & private
Preview

Everything reading needs. Nothing it doesn't.

No toolbars, no buttons, no clutter — the window is your document. Everything lives one right-click away.

Live refresh on save

Save in any editor and mdpeek re-renders instantly over SSE — keeping your scroll position, so you never lose your place.

Outline, history & favorites

A floating outline tracks your position as you scroll. History is grouped by day like your browser, and favorites pin the docs you live in.

9 color themes + dark mode

Glacier, Forest, Sunset, Typewriter and more — switch themes from the right-click menu. Your preference is remembered per app, everywhere.

Type that fits your eyes

Pick any installed font, Ctrl+scroll for font size, Alt+scroll for column width. Text truly reflows — no blurry bitmap zoom.

Renders the whole document

Tables with alignment, footnotes with back-links, local images, and syntax-highlighted code blocks with copy, wrap and line numbers. GBK/GB18030 files open cleanly too.

Export to PDF / HTML

One right-click exports a PDF exactly as styled on screen, or a single-file HTML — styling and local images baked into one file that opens in any browser.

Also: drag-and-drop open · Ctrl+O · tabbed preview in 2.0 (one window, many documents) · remembers where you stopped reading · auto update checks

mdpeek outline panel: document table of contents highlights the current heading while scrolling through a Markdown file
Outline follows your scroll — the current heading stays highlighted
mdpeek history panel: recently opened Markdown files grouped by day, like browser history
History groups recently opened files by day, next to Favorites
The AI era

Built for the files your AI writes

Claude, Cursor and Copilot all speak Markdown — CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, READMEs, specs and plans. mdpeek watches the file and re-renders the moment your AI saves it, scroll position intact. Reading what your agent just wrote becomes a glance, not a context switch.

CLAUDE.md AGENTS.md README.md CHANGELOG.md plan.md spec.md

Why did every AI tool settle on Markdown? Read the story

Themes

9 color themes + dark mode

Glacier, Forest, Sunset, Typewriter and more — one right-click to switch, remembered everywhere. Pick one:

mdpeek default theme — clean light reading style for Markdown documents mdpeek dark mode — easy-on-the-eyes dark theme for reading Markdown at night mdpeek Glacier theme — cool blue-toned Markdown color scheme mdpeek Typewriter theme — classic monospace typewriter-style Markdown reading mdpeek Sunset theme — warm amber-toned Markdown color scheme mdpeek Forest theme — calm green-toned Markdown color scheme mdpeek Editorial theme — magazine-style serif Markdown reading mdpeek Violet theme — purple-toned Markdown color scheme mdpeek Lychee theme — soft red-toned Markdown color scheme mdpeek Mint theme — fresh mint-toned Markdown color scheme mdpeek Neon theme — vivid high-contrast Markdown color scheme
Editing

When a quick look turns into a quick fix

Spot a typo while reading? Fix it without leaving the window — or jump straight to the source line in your favorite editor.

demo-editing.md — mdpeek
Live Edit

Sprint 42 — Release notes (draft)

Status: in progress — editing this in Live Edit mode.

Performance comparison

Metricv1.4v1.5Delta
Cold start1.8 s0.9 s-50%
Search (10k notes)210 ms48 ms-77%
Memory (idle)180 MB92 MB-49%

F2 Live Edit — the rendered page is the editor; typing updates it in place

Pro

Mermaid diagrams

Flowcharts, sequence diagrams and Gantt charts render natively. Double-click any diagram for a fullscreen viewer with wheel zoom and drag pan.

graph TD sequenceDiagram gantt
Mermaid flowchart rendered natively by mdpeek Pro inside a Markdown document
Pro

KaTeX math formulas

Inline $...$ and block $$...$$ LaTeX renders beautifully — perfect for papers, notes and AI-generated answers.

eiπ + 1 = 0
KaTeX math formulas rendered by mdpeek Pro — BM25 ranking equation in LaTeX inside a Markdown document

Rendering engines download once on first use, then work fully offline. Community Edition stays lean without them.

Why mdpeek

Quick Look for Markdown

You double-click a .md file to read it — not to boot an IDE.

mdpeek Typora / VS Code Browser extension
Install size 3 MB 100–400 MB — (but needs a browser)
Double-click a .md file Instant 3–5 s of editor startup Drag or copy-paste each time
Reading-first UI Zero chrome Toolbars, panels, file tree Browser UI around it
Built for Reading Writing code / docs Occasional preview

They complement each other — keep your editor for writing, use mdpeek for the 90% of times you just read.

Privacy first

Your files never leave your computer

mdpeek runs 100% locally. It starts a temporary server on localhost purely to render the page — no uploads, no account, no ads, no tracking.

How it works

Reading in three steps

1

Install

Grab the 3 MB installer. One click, no options to ponder.

2

Nothing to set up

mdpeek associates .md files for you automatically. No account, no config.

3

Double-click & read

Any Markdown file now opens rendered, like a webpage. Esc closes it.

Seeing a SmartScreen prompt? That's Windows flagging apps without a costly code-signing certificate. Click "More info" → "Run anyway" — mdpeek runs entirely locally.

Pricing

Free to read. $9.99 to do more.

Same product, same core — the tabbed preview added in 2.0 is in both editions. Pro adds built-in version history and diff, Mermaid, math and two editing modes. Try everything 100 times for free before paying $9.99 once for a lifetime license.

Community

Free forever

The complete reading experience. No account, no ads.

  • Double-click open, live refresh, outline & history
  • Tabbed preview — every document in one window (new in 2.0)
  • 9 color themes, dark mode, font & width controls
  • Code highlighting, local images, footnotes, PDF & single-file HTML export
  • F4 jump-to-line in your external editor
Download for Windows Download for macOS Download for Linux

Version history, Mermaid diagrams, math formulas and editing modes are Pro-only

Pro

Per-device · free upgrades forever
$9.99 once, forever

100 free full-featured opens — then one payment: per-device buyout, free upgrades for life.

  • Version history & diff — auto snapshots, one-click restore, side-by-side or inline compare
  • Mermaid diagrams with fullscreen zoom viewer
  • KaTeX math formulas (LaTeX syntax)
  • Live Edit (F2) — WYSIWYG right in the preview
  • Split-screen edit (F3) with snippet expansion & image paste
  • First 100 opens are free — try everything, pay nothing
  • After the trial, "Maybe Later" keeps it working — never hard-locked
Download Pro for Windows Download Pro for macOS Download Pro for Linux

Windows / macOS / Linux · installs over the Community Edition · 100 free trial opens · pay by card, unlocked instantly in the app

🎁

Don't want to pay? Write a review, get Pro free Ongoing

Publish an honest review, get 1–5 free activation codes · keep them or gift them
Windows 10 / 11 macOS 11+ Linux x86_64 (Ubuntu / Debian / Fedora / Arch) Editions overwrite each other — switch anytime

Both editions are built from the same source with the same core — the 2.0 tabbed preview is in both, while Pro adds version history and diff, Mermaid diagrams, math formulas and the two editing modes. They overwrite each other on install, so just pick one. Windows, macOS and Linux each have a Community and a Pro Edition.

See the full pricing page

FAQ

Questions, answered

What's new in mdpeek 2.0?
mdpeek 2.0 adds two things. Tabbed preview — available in both the Community and Pro editions — opens many Markdown documents in one window; switching between tabs does not re-render, so scroll position and F2/F3 editing state stay exactly where you left them, with drag-to-reorder, pinning, bulk close and session restore. Built-in version history — Pro only — records a snapshot on save, external change, entering or leaving edit mode and window close, with a timeline, naming, hide, one-click restore and side-by-side or inline diff of any two versions. History lives in a local SQLite file and is never uploaded. Already on 1.0.196? Install 2.0.1 over it — settings, favorites and recent files are kept.
Does Windows have a built-in Markdown viewer?
No. File Explorer and Notepad only show the raw Markdown source, and PowerToys Peek previews don't render it either. mdpeek fills that gap: install it once, and double-clicking any .md file opens it rendered like a webpage.
What program opens .md files?
Any text editor can open .md files as plain text — but to read them rendered, you need a Markdown viewer. mdpeek is a dedicated Markdown viewer for Windows, macOS and Linux: 3 MB, double-click to read, tabs when you need them, 100% offline. More options compared: the best Markdown viewers.
Can I view Markdown files offline?
Yes. mdpeek runs 100% locally — no account, no uploads, no tracking. It only starts a temporary server on localhost to render the page, so it works fully offline, even on a plane.
How do I open .md files on Windows?
Install mdpeek once and it associates .md files for you. From then on, double-click any Markdown file and it opens rendered like a webpage — no editor, no browser extension, no configuration. More detail: 3 ways to open .md files.
Is mdpeek free?
Yes. The Community Edition is free forever with the full reading experience, including the tabbed preview added in 2.0. The Pro Edition adds built-in version history and diff, Mermaid diagrams, KaTeX math and two editing modes (F2 Live Edit, F3 split-screen) for a one-time $9.99 lifetime unlock (per-device buyout, free upgrades forever) — with 100 free trial opens first, and a dismissible "Maybe Later" prompt after that. It never hard-locks.
How is it different from Typora or VS Code?
Typora and VS Code are editors — powerful, but heavy when you only want to read. mdpeek is a dedicated viewer: a 3 MB installer that opens in under a second and closes with Esc. Think Quick Look for Markdown. They complement each other. Full breakdown: mdpeek vs Typora vs VS Code.
Does mdpeek upload my files?
No. mdpeek runs 100% locally. It only starts a temporary server on localhost to render the page — your Markdown never leaves your computer. No account, no ads, no tracking.
What about Windows SmartScreen warnings?
SmartScreen flags apps without an expensive code-signing certificate. Click "More info" → "Run anyway". mdpeek runs entirely locally and uploads nothing.
What are the system requirements?
Windows 10/11 with the WebView2 runtime (preinstalled on Windows 11 and most Windows 10 PCs) · macOS 11 Big Sur or later on Apple Silicon (M1 and later; Intel Macs are not supported) · Linux x86_64 on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch and other mainstream distros (needs GTK3 + WebKitGTK, usually preinstalled). New to Markdown? Learn it in 3 minutes.
mdpeek

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3 MB. Free. Installed in seconds.

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