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Comparison

Downer vs QLMarkdown and Peekdown

QLMarkdown and Peekdown add Markdown previews to Finder's Quick Look. Downer does too, using the same drawing as its full reader. Here's how the three compare.

Download for MacFree · macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon

At a glance

Downer and QLMarkdown and Peekdown side by side
DownerQLMarkdown and Peekdown
What it isA Markdown reader and editor that also adds Quick Look previewsQLMarkdown: a Quick Look extension with a settings app. Peekdown: a viewer and editor with Quick Look built in
Files previewed in Quick LookMarkdown, Mermaid (.mmd) and LaTeX (.tex)QLMarkdown: Markdown and related formats, and .mermaid files. Peekdown: .md and .mdx
Math and MermaidAbout 35 diagram types and KaTeX-compatible mathBoth: math and Mermaid diagrams
Images beside the file in Quick LookNot shown in Quick Look; shown in the appQLMarkdown: shown with its local images option. Peekdown: not stated
StylingLight or dark to match your Mac in Quick Look; 15 themes in the appQLMarkdown: GitHub-style theme and your own CSS. Peekdown: 8 themes
Extra Markdown syntaxGitHub-style Markdown, emoji and GitHub's HTMLQLMarkdown: footnotes, wikilinks, admonitions and more. Peekdown: footnotes and Obsidian syntax
The full appMap, find, command palette, LaTeX papers, Files and collections, editor with Fix FormattingQLMarkdown: not meant as a viewer or editor. Peekdown: side-by-side editor and annotations you can hand to AI assistants
RequirementsmacOS 14 or later, Apple siliconPeekdown: macOS 15 or later
PriceFreeQLMarkdown: free, source published under the GPL. Peekdown: $4.99 from Apple's Mac store

Choose Downer if

  • You want Quick Look and a full reader that shows files the same way, with diagrams, math and LaTeX papers.
  • You want Quick Look previews of Mermaid and LaTeX files, not just Markdown.
  • You want a free app with 15 themes, Files and collections, and an editor with Fix Formatting.

Choose QLMarkdown and Peekdown if

  • You only want Quick Look and nothing else in your Dock; QLMarkdown does exactly that, for free.
  • You need images stored next to the file to appear in Quick Look, or you want your own CSS.
  • You review Markdown written by AI tools and want Peekdown's annotations, or Obsidian-style syntax.

On a fresh Mac, pressing Space on a Markdown file shows raw text. QLMarkdown, Peekdown and Downer all fix that, in different ways.

QLMarkdown is just the preview

QLMarkdown is a free Quick Look extension with a small settings app. Its author says plainly that it isn’t meant to be a viewer or editor. It has a long list of options: math, Mermaid, emoji, footnotes, wikilinks, admonitions, a table of contents, custom CSS, and an option to show images stored next to the file. If all you want is a better Space-bar preview, it’s hard to beat.

Peekdown is a viewer built around Quick Look

Peekdown is a paid viewer and editor whose Quick Look preview shows Markdown in GitHub style, with math and Mermaid diagrams. The app adds a side-by-side editor, 8 themes, Obsidian syntax and annotations you can mark up and pass to an AI assistant.

Downer is a full reader whose preview matches

Downer’s Quick Look preview is drawn the same way as the app, and it covers Mermaid and LaTeX files as well as Markdown. When the preview isn’t enough, open the file and you get the full reader: a map of headings, find, a command palette, 15 themes, Files and collections, and an editor with Fix Formatting. It’s free.

The one place it gives ground: images stored next to the file don’t show in Downer’s Quick Look preview. They do in the app.

The short version

For the leanest free preview with images and custom CSS, choose QLMarkdown. For annotating AI-written Markdown, look at Peekdown. For one free app that previews Markdown, diagrams and papers in Finder and reads them properly when you open them, choose Downer.

Sources

Details about QLMarkdown and Peekdown were last checked on . Products change; check their site for the latest.

Questions

Can I have more than one Markdown Quick Look extension installed?

Yes, but macOS uses one at a time for a file type. Turn the others off in System Settings so the one you want is used.

Why does Downer's Quick Look skip images next to the file?

Quick Look previews have limited access to the files around the one you're previewing. Downer leaves those images out of the preview and shows them when you open the file.

Quick Look

Select a Markdown file in Finder, press Space and read it as a formatted page. Downer adds Quick Look previews for Markdown, Mermaid diagrams and LaTeX papers.

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GitHub-style Markdown

Downer follows the same Markdown rules as GitHub, so a README on your Mac looks the way it will on the web. Check tables, images and collapsible sections before you push.

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Mermaid diagrams

Open a Markdown file full of Mermaid blocks, or a .mmd file on its own, and Downer draws each diagram right in the page. No browser, no plugins, no waiting.

Read more

Downer vs Typora

Typora is a polished editor that hides Markdown as you type. Downer is a fast reader first, with an editor beside the preview. Here's how they differ.

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Downer vs Marked 2

Marked 2 is a long-standing previewer that sits beside whichever editor you write in. Downer is a reader with its own editor built in. Here's how they differ.

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Downer vs Obsidian

Obsidian is a notes app built around a vault of linked Markdown files, with plugins and paid sync. Downer opens any Markdown file on your Mac and reads it beautifully.

Read more

Try Downer on your Mac

Free for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 14 or later.

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