Markdown viewer for macOS · free · open source

A Markdown viewer for Mac that opens the file as a page

Double-click a .md file and read it formatted: headings, tables, checklists, code, diagrams and maths. Press Space in Finder for a preview without opening anything. Free, with no account

Download for macOS

Version 1.2 · 5.7 MB · macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon

A README.md open in Hem, a Markdown viewer for Mac: a heading, a shell snippet, a table of commands, highlighted Python and a note.

What a viewer should do, and Hem does

A viewer is the app you reach for when you want to read a file, not maintain it. These are the parts that matter for that

Opens on double-click

On first launch Hem offers to become the app for .md files. After that a double-click in Finder, Mail or Downloads opens the page

Every way to open a .md file →

Previews in Finder

Select a file and press Space. Hem ships a Quick Look extension, so the preview is the rendered page rather than raw text

Quick Look for Markdown →

Renders the whole of GitHub Flavored Markdown

Tables, task lists, strikethrough and autolinks, plus front matter shown as a tidy block instead of a stray heading

Code, diagrams and maths

Syntax highlighting for code blocks, Mermaid diagrams drawn in place and LaTeX through KaTeX. All of it works offline

Mermaid on a Mac →

Follows the file

When another app or a coding agent rewrites the file, the page updates. Leave a plan or a README open while it changes

Reading agent docs →

Small and private

A 5.7 MB download, 12 MB installed. No account, no telemetry, nothing uploaded. The only request it makes is the update check you can turn off

From download to reading in a minute

Download Hem
Open the disk image and drag Hem into Applications. It is signed and notarised by Apple
Let it open .md files
Say yes when Hem offers to open Markdown files, or set it later with ⌘I in Finder and “Change All…”
Double-click, or press Space
Open any .md, .markdown, .mdown, .mkd or .mkdn file as a page, or preview it in Finder

When you need more than reading

Hem is also an editor. Click into a paragraph, a table cell or a list and type; a small bar offers bold, headings and lists. Saving rewrites only the part you changed, so the rest of the file stays byte for byte as it was

And when the page has to leave Markdown, export it as a Word document, a PDF or a single HTML file, or copy it with its formatting into Mail, Pages or Google Docs

Hem as a Markdown editor →

Questions about viewing Markdown on a Mac

What is the best free Markdown viewer for Mac?

It depends on what you read. For opening .md files as formatted pages and previewing them in Finder, Hem is free, open source and does both. If you only want a Finder preview, QLMarkdown is another free option; if you already live in VS Code, its built-in preview may be enough

Does macOS have a built-in Markdown viewer?

No. TextEdit and Quick Look show a .md file as plain text, symbols included. You need an app that renders Markdown, and one with a Quick Look extension if you want previews in Finder

How do I make .md files open in Hem by default?

Accept the offer on first launch, or select any .md file in Finder, press ⌘I, choose Hem under “Open with” and click “Change All…”

Does it render Mermaid diagrams and LaTeX?

Yes. Mermaid code blocks become diagrams and LaTeX is set with KaTeX, both in the window and in the Finder preview, without an internet connection

Which Macs does it run on?

macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer). The download is 5.7 MB

Is it really free?

Yes, with editing and export included. Hem is MIT-licensed open source with no paid tier

Guides to reading Markdown on a Mac

A Markdown viewer that is free, small and already knows your files