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showmd Review

showmd is a free, native macOS Quick Look extension for beautifully rendered Markdown previews, supporting AI workflows.

shipped Apr 15, 2026free
showmd - AI tool

Why it matters

1Free, native macOS Quick Look extension.
2Renders YAML frontmatter as a collapsible table.
3Styles over 20 agentic AI XML tags as labeled blocks.
4Provides syntax highlighting for more than 190 languages.

Stork’s verdict on showmd

Free macOS Quick Look for Markdown, especially strong with agentic AI XML tags, but only useful on macOS.

showmd reviewed by Stork AI · stork.ai/en/showmd

About showmd

Platforms
macOS

overview

What is showmd?

showmd is a Markdown rendering tool supporting AI workflows developed by Johannes N. that enables macOS users, AI developers, and technical writers to enhance the previewing of Markdown files directly within Finder. It parses YAML frontmatter into a collapsible metadata table and styles 20+ agentic AI XML tags as labeled blocks. The tool transforms raw Markdown files into rendered, readable documents with a simple press of the spacebar in Finder, addressing the default macOS Quick Look's plain text display. It was launched on Product Hunt on April 16, 2026, where it achieved the #5 product of the day ranking.

features

Key Features of showmd

showmd provides a comprehensive set of features designed to enhance Markdown previewing on macOS, particularly for technical documentation and AI-related content. Its capabilities focus on native integration, advanced rendering, and user privacy.

  • Native macOS Quick Look extension for seamless integration.
  • Renders GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) including tables, task lists, and footnotes.
  • Parses YAML frontmatter and displays it as a collapsible metadata table.
  • Includes a toggle for switching between rendered and source views.
  • Supports dark mode for improved readability in low-light environments.
  • Styles over 20 agentic AI XML tags (e.g., <example>, <instructions>) as labeled, bordered blocks.
  • Offers syntax highlighting for more than 190 programming languages.
  • Renders LaTeX mathematical expressions using KaTeX.
  • Displays Mermaid diagrams (flowcharts, sequence diagrams, state machines) directly within the preview.
  • Operates entirely offline, bundled, and requires zero configuration, ensuring privacy.

use cases

Who Should Use showmd?

showmd is designed for a diverse group of macOS users who frequently interact with Markdown files, especially those involved in development, technical writing, and AI workflows. Its specialized rendering capabilities cater to specific professional needs.

  • macOS Users: For instant, clean, and formatted previews of .md files directly within Finder, eliminating the need for external editors.
  • AI Developers and AI Agents Users: To preview README.md, AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, and other documentation containing complex XML tags and structured prompts used in agentic AI workflows.
  • Developers and Technical Writers: For quickly reviewing documentation, notes, and other Markdown-based content without opening a full-fledged editor like VS Code or Obsidian.
  • Content Creators: For efficient review of Markdown-formatted articles, blog posts, and project notes.

pricing

showmd Pricing & Plans

showmd is distributed as a free, open-source macOS application. There are no premium tiers, subscription models, or associated costs for its use. All features are included without charge.

  • Free: All features included, no cost.

Similar Tools

showmd vs Competitors

showmd differentiates itself within the macOS Markdown preview landscape through its native integration, specialized AI-friendly formatting, and comprehensive rendering capabilities. While several alternatives exist, showmd's focus on agentic AI XML tags and collapsible YAML frontmatter provides distinct advantages.

1
QLMarkdownOn Stork

It's a free, open-source Quick Look extension that uses the same `cmark-gfm` library as GitHub for rendering, ensuring high compatibility with GitHub-flavored Markdown.

Like showmd, QLMarkdown is a free macOS Quick Look extension that supports YAML headers, syntax highlighting, and dark mode. While it renders YAML, it doesn't specifically mention rendering it as a collapsible table or having a rendered/source toggle directly in Quick Look like showmd does.

2
Markdown Preview↗

It's a paid Quick Look extension available on the Mac App Store, offering support for KaTeX math and Mermaid diagrams.

Markdown Preview is a direct Quick Look competitor to showmd, offering similar core Markdown rendering, KaTeX, and Mermaid support. Unlike showmd which is free, Markdown Preview is a paid app ($2.99).

3
PreviewMarkdown↗

It provides both Markdown file preview and icon thumbnailing extensions for macOS, with customizable preview elements like fonts and colors.

Similar to showmd, PreviewMarkdown is a free Quick Look extension that supports YAML front matter and dark mode. It offers more granular control over preview styling through its preferences panel.

4
Telescopo↗

It's a broader document viewer with a free base version, and its Pro version offers 'On-Device AI: Instant summaries using Apple Intelligence' for Markdown files.

Telescopo's free version provides beautiful Markdown rendering on macOS, similar to showmd. Its Pro version uniquely integrates on-device AI for summaries, directly addressing the 'AI Tools' aspect, which showmd handles through specific XML tag rendering.

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