Double-click .md files.
Read instantly.
A free, open-source Markdown reader for Windows. Built with Rust and WebView2 — double-click any Markdown file to read it. Live refresh, outline, dark/light themes, export to PDF. One-click install, zero configuration.
No ads, no account, no telemetry. 100% open source under the MIT License — read the code, audit it, build it yourself, or contribute.
mdview
Open-source Markdown reader · MIT
Grab mdview.exe
Double-click to bind .md files
Double-click any Markdown file to read
Focused on Markdown reading, done right
No heavy editor features—just a quiet, efficient reading window. Everything below ships in the free, open-source build, with nothing locked behind a paywall.
Live Reload
After saving a file, it automatically re-renders with no manual refresh. SSE push makes changes visible instantly.
Double-Click to Open
On first run it registers the .md file association. Then just double-click any Markdown file to preview.
Document Outline
Automatically extracts headings to generate a floating table of contents. Click to jump; the current section is auto-highlighted as you scroll.
Jump to Source
Select text and press Ctrl+E to open your editor and jump directly to the corresponding line.
Local Images
Automatically loads local images relative to the Markdown file — PNG, JPG, SVG, GIF and more.
Dark / Light Themes
Switch with one right-click. Outline and dialogs are fully adapted, and your preference is saved automatically.
Export PDF
Right-click to print / export, making it easy to archive or share documents with others.
No Ads · No Telemetry
Runs locally; your files are never uploaded. No account, no tracking — and the open-source code proves it.
Free as in speech — and in beer
No paywall, no locked features, no "Pro" tier. The entire application is MIT-licensed and lives on GitHub — read it, audit it, fork it, ship it.
Public on GitHub
Every line of source is on github.com/mdview2026/mdview. Star it, open issues, send pull requests — contributions welcome.
MIT Licensed
Use it personally, in your company, or bundle it with your own project. No strings attached — just keep the notice.
Build It Yourself
Clone and run cargo build --release. Requires Rust (MSVC) + zig. No black boxes.
A small, fast native binary — no Electron, no bundled browser.
Just want to read? Why open an editor?
Every time you double-click a .md file, you probably just want to read it, not edit it.
VS Code / Typora
Takes 3–5 seconds to launch and loads tons of plugins and features. Overkill for just glancing at a README.
Browser + Extension
Can't directly double-click a local .md file; every time you have to drag or copy-paste—tedious.
mdview
Double-click to open, instant response. ~2.4 MB, zero config, press Esc to exit — as handy as macOS Quick Look, and it's open source.
Your files never leave your computer
mdview runs 100% locally. It only starts a temporary HTTP server on localhost to render the page — your Markdown content is never uploaded anywhere. No account, no tracking, no telemetry. And because the source is public, you don't have to take our word for it: read the code, or compile it yourself.
Three steps to reading
Simpler than setting up an environment, faster than opening a browser
Get the Binary
Download the installer or the portable .zip. Prefer to self-build? Clone the repo and run cargo build --release.
Run It Once
Run the installer (or the portable mdview.exe) to register the .md association. A welcome window confirms the status.
Double-Click .md Files
From then on, double-click any Markdown file
to view it live.
Windows may show a SmartScreen prompt when running mdview for the first time, because the binary isn't signed with a paid code-signing certificate. Click More info → Run anyway. This software runs entirely locally and never uploads data — and you can always build it from source instead.
Questions you might have
Is mdview really free? Is there a paid version?
Where is the source code? Can I build it myself?
Is it Windows only? What about Mac / Linux / Android?
Windows says "Windows protected your PC." Is it safe?
What Markdown features are supported?
How do I unassociate .md files?
Method 2: Run the command mdview --unbind.
Method 3: Run mdview --uninstall to also remove the "Open with mdview" context-menu entry.
How is it different from Typora / VS Code?
Get mdview
Pick the build that suits you — a one-click installer, or a portable single .exe you can drop anywhere. Both are the same free, open-source app.
Installer
The recommended way. Registers the .md file association and adds an "Open with mdview" context menu. Uninstalls cleanly.
- One-click install, auto-binds .md files
- Right-click "Open with mdview" entry
- Uninstallable from Settings or Add/Remove Programs
Portable
A single mdview.exe (~2.4 MB) in a zip. No installation, no admin rights — drop it on a USB stick or anywhere and run.
- No install, no registry footprint
- Still binds .md files on first run
- Great for restricted / non-admin machines
Found a bug? Want a feature?
mdview is a community project. Open an issue, suggest an improvement, or send a pull request — every contribution makes it better.