Open source - VS Code extension and desktop app

Markdown Explorer

A private Markdown workspace reader with exact search jumps, Mermaid, math, video, syntax-highlighted code, interactive tables, charts, tabs, converted document previews, Sidebar Cursor mode, and Theme Remix for real documentation.

Install for VS Code Download desktop app

VS Code Marketplace Open VSX Latest GitHub Release

3 search scopes: file, workspace, all tabs

25+ highlighted programming languages

1000+ rows in data table stay sortable, filterable and view as charts

24 Mermaid diagram styles rendered in docs

HTML interactive sandboxes run in isolated previews

Zoom click to enlarge diagrams, charts, and images

Built for agent-era Markdown

Your docs become an app

Markdown Explorer keeps files local while making big Markdown and document workspaces easier to scan, search, understand, and present. Support multiple languages.

Find content across every open workspace tab

Search current file, current workspace, or all desktop tabs. Results show focused excerpts and jump to the exact clicked match.

Converted document preview with best-effort quality notice

Document previews

Read DOCX, PDF, Office, web, and text files

Enable local conversion for DOCX, PDF, HTML, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, ODP, ODS, RTF, and TXT files. Markdown Explorer converts on open, caches repeat previews, and clearly marks best-effort rendering quality.

Sidebar Cursor mode highlighting the current file in the tree

Keyboard navigation

Move through the sidebar with Alt+S

Enter Sidebar Cursor mode, move with Up and Down, press Enter to expand folders or open files, and exit with Esc, Alt+S, or an outside click.

Theme Remix

Build custom reading themes

Create, duplicate, edit, import, and export custom themes with colors, density, spacing, layout style, and optional background images.

Large Markdown table with multi-select filters

Tables

Large tables stay usable

Sort and filter real rows, use multi-choice filters, and keep long tables collapsed while exploring filtered results.

Charts

Turn Markdown data into charts

Switch suitable tables into Bar, Line, or Pie views when numeric columns are detected.

Diagrams

Mermaid diagrams render cleanly

Flowcharts, timelines, git graphs, architecture diagrams, and more render inside your local Markdown reader.

Streaming video embedded in Markdown Explorer

Media

Markdown can carry video too

Embed local video or supported streaming links without turning your documentation into a separate website.

Media Viewer

Zoom and inspect images & diagrams

Click any image, flowchart, or architecture diagram to open a premium fullscreen backdrop-blur modal. Focus on complex details, pan across large graphics, and click anywhere to close.

Fresh screenshots

A viewer made for dense docs

Use Markdown Explorer for agent memory folders, engineering runbooks, release notes, diagrams, demos, and knowledge bases.

Syntax-highlighted code block in Markdown Explorer — Readable code blocks with language labels, line numbers, copy controls, and strong contrast.

Converted DOCX preview inside Markdown Explorer — Best-effort converted previews make DOCX, PDF, Office, web, and text files readable in the same workspace.

Sidebar Cursor mode active in Markdown Explorer — Sidebar Cursor mode highlights the file tree for keyboard-first folder expansion and file opening.

Math formulas rendered in Markdown Explorer — LaTeX math renders directly in the document flow.

Interactive HTML sandbox in Markdown Explorer — Interactive HTML sandboxes run in isolated previews.

Image modal viewing a diagram — Zoom and inspect images or diagrams in a focused media modal.

Desktop workspace selection with recent folders — Desktop mode remembers recent workspaces and opens folders quickly.

Theme Remix modal with color, layout, and background controls — Theme Remix and settings import/export help teams keep personal reading preferences portable.

Private by default

Offline, local, and comfortable for real project folders

Markdown Explorer does not upload Markdown content. It scans and renders locally, making it useful for private notes, agent memory folders, engineering docs, runbooks, and project knowledge bases.

Get Markdown Explorer

Install the extension or download the desktop app

The desktop app goes beyond the VS Code extension with Tabs view, multiple workspaces open at the same time, more keyboard shortcuts, and extra features.

VS Code Marketplace

Best choice for VS Code users. Launch the docs viewer directly inside your editor.

Install extension

Open VSX Registry

Use this for VSCodium and VS Code-compatible editors that rely on Open VSX.

Install from Open VSX

Windows desktop

Download the portable `.exe` from the latest release and run it directly.

Download Windows

macOS desktop

Download a `.dmg` for your chip. Use `arm64` for Apple Silicon and `x64` for Intel Macs.

Download macOS

Linux desktop

Use `.AppImage` for portable launch, or `.deb` on Debian and Ubuntu-based systems.

Download Linux

Latest release page

Every GitHub Release includes file descriptions so you can pick the right package for your OS.

View latest release

Checking latest release assets...

Global & Accessible

Documentation in your native language

Markdown Explorer is built for global teams. The entire reader interface is fully localized, allowing you to seamlessly navigate, search, and manage your documentation workspaces in your preferred language.

English Tiếng Việt Français Español 中文 Norsk 日本語 한국어 Русский

Questions

Common questions

Is Markdown Explorer free?

Yes. The project is MIT licensed and the GitHub repository is public.

Does it work without internet?

Yes. Rendering and searching happen locally. The website download buttons use GitHub only to find the latest release files and public download totals.

Can it preview DOCX, PDF, Office, web, and text files?

Yes. Turn on Read DOCX, PDF, Office, and text files in Settings. Conversion happens locally and is best-effort, so complex page layout, images, or styling can differ from the original file.

Which desktop file should I download?

Windows users should choose `.exe`. Linux users can choose `.AppImage` or `.deb`. macOS users should choose `.dmg`, with `arm64` for Apple Silicon and `x64` for Intel.