Desktop Markdown reader for Mac and Windows

Your Markdown, out of the editor

• Open files like documents. Make MarkdownPaper the default application for .md files and open them with a double click.
• Browse a folder, not a file picker. Open a folder of notes, specs or docs, then move between them from the library.
• Follow live changes. Keep a document beside your terminal and watch the page update when an AI agent or another program rewrites the file. The guide to reading the files AI coding agents write says where each agent keeps them.
• Stay local by design. Read and edit without an account, a document upload or a browser tab competing for attention.

The desktop app is the same complete reader as the web app. It adds a native file workflow for people who open Markdown every day.

Web reader or desktop app?

Both render tables, code, task lists, math and Mermaid diagrams with the same typography. Choose the workflow that fits where your Markdown already lives.

Open it from the terminal

AI coding agents leave their plans, specs and reports as Markdown in the folder you are working in. mdpaper is a free command on npm that puts one on the page without leaving the terminal. It needs Node:

npx mdpaper plan.md

With the desktop app installed, the file opens in the app, which follows it as the agent keeps writing. Without it, the file opens as a snapshot in the free web reader, and running the command again refreshes it. On Windows the app also adds a markdownpaper command of its own.

Markdown that is online

The desktop app is for the files on your computer. For Markdown you meet in the browser, a README on GitHub or GitLab, a raw .md file or a Markdown page on any site, the free Chrome extension sets it on paper in the same tab with one click. It is listed as MarkdownPaper: Markdown Viewer, and it reads a page only when you click it.

Add to Chrome Free from the Chrome Web Store

System requirements

• Mac: macOS 10.15 Catalina or later. One build runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
• Windows: Windows 10 or Windows 11.

MarkdownPaper is sold through each platform's own store as a single purchase, with no subscription and no MarkdownPaper account. The store handles installing it on your other computers and keeping it up to date.

Other ways to install

These install the same app from the same store, bought once there. They are for people who would rather type a command than open the store.

Mac, with mas

mas install 6816612175

The Mac App Store from the terminal. Install mas with Homebrew first, and buy the app once in the store.

Windows, with winget

winget install -s msstore 9P15NV9J49F3

The Microsoft Store from the terminal, with the package manager built into Windows.

Try your own Markdown free

The desktop app and the web reader use the same rendering engine. Before buying anything, open the free web reader and drop in one of your own files. Nothing is installed and the document is not uploaded.

Questions

Does the desktop Markdown reader work offline?

Yes. Once installed, the desktop app reads and renders local files without an internet connection. Store access is only needed for installation and updates.

Does MarkdownPaper upload or index my files?

No. The app reads a file only when you open it, choose it in a system dialog or pick its folder. The app has no account, no analytics and no document upload.

Can MarkdownPaper be the default app for .md files?

Yes. Set MarkdownPaper as the default application for Markdown files on Mac or Windows, then open them directly from Finder or File Explorer. A document that came from a file is saved back to that file. Removing it from the app's library removes only the library entry, not the file on disk. Read the full privacy policy.