Why MD Glide for Mac

Reading Markdown on a Mac usually means a detour: open a browser or a code editor, or choose the file in a website first. MD Glide skips it. Double-click a .md file in Finder and it opens as a formatted document in a native Mac app, with headings, tables, code and diagrams already in place.

When something needs changing, edit side by side with the preview and press ⌘S. The change goes straight back into the same file, so there is nothing to download, copy or upload again.

  • No browser, no upload. Files open from Finder, Open With or the Dock.
  • Formatted from the start. No raw syntax to read past.
  • Saved where it lives. ⌘S writes to the file you opened.

Install MD Glide

  1. Download the disk image above.
  2. Open it and drag MD Glide to the Applications folder.
  3. Open MD Glide and choose Make default, or double-click any .md file.

MD Glide is one universal app for Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 12 Monterey or later, and it’s notarized by Apple. To check the download, run shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/MD-Glide-1.0.0.dmg in Terminal and compare the result with the SHA-256 above.

Open .md files from Finder

Once MD Glide is installed, any of these opens a Markdown file in it:

  • Double-click the file, once MD Glide is your default app for .md files.
  • Open With: Control-click the file in Finder and choose Open With → MD Glide.
  • Drag and drop files onto MD Glide in the Dock, or onto its window.

To make MD Glide the default, choose Make default on its home screen. Or in Finder, select a .md file, choose File → Get Info, pick MD Glide under Open with, and click Change All.

Documents open as tabs in one window. Opening a file that is already open brings its tab forward instead of opening it twice.

Edit and save in place

Switch between Preview, Split and Edit. Press ⌘S and MD Glide writes straight to the file, keeping its encoding (UTF-8, UTF-16 or Windows-1252), byte order mark and line endings, so a diff shows only the lines you changed.

If another app changes the file, such as your code editor or a git pull, the document reloads. If you have unsaved edits, MD Glide tells you instead of replacing them. Links to other Markdown files open in new tabs, and images stored next to the document show up.

Markdown features

  • GitHub-style Markdown: alerts, task lists, tables, footnotes and syntax highlighting.
  • Maths and diagrams: KaTeX equations and Mermaid diagrams.
  • Long documents: find with ⌘F, a contents sidebar and a command palette.
  • Highlights and notes for passages you want to come back to.
  • 8 themes or your own CSS.
  • Print and export to PDF or HTML with the native macOS dialogs.

It’s the same rendering as the Chrome extension and the online reader, so a document looks the same wherever you open it.

Privacy

Documents are read and saved on your Mac. MD Glide has no account and no analytics. It connects to the internet only to load images a document links to, a Markdown URL you choose to open, and links you click.

Questions about MD Glide for Mac

How do I open a .md file on a Mac?

Install MD Glide, then double-click the file. If another app opens it instead, Control-click the file in Finder and choose Open With → MD Glide, or drag it onto MD Glide in the Dock.

How do I make MD Glide open every .md file?

Choose Make default on MD Glide’s home screen. You can also do it in Finder: select a .md file, choose File → Get Info, pick MD Glide under Open with, and click Change All.

Can I edit Markdown files, not just read them?

Yes. Switch to Split or Edit, make your changes, and press ⌘S. MD Glide writes to the original file and keeps its encoding, byte order mark and line endings.

Is MD Glide for Mac free?

Yes. It’s free to download and use, and there’s no account to create.

Which Macs does it run on?

Any Mac with Apple silicon or an Intel processor running macOS 12 Monterey or later. It’s one universal app.

Is the download safe to open?

MD Glide is notarized by Apple, which checks apps for malicious software before macOS will open them. To confirm your copy wasn’t altered, compare its SHA-256 checksum with the one at the top of this page.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Reading, editing, saving and exporting all happen on your Mac. MD Glide goes online only to load images a document links to, a Markdown URL you choose to open, and links you click.

Should I use the Mac app, the Chrome extension or the website?

Use the Mac app to open files from Finder and save them in place. Use the Chrome extension to read .md files and raw Markdown pages inside Chrome. Use the online reader when you can’t install anything.