I built a macOS-native Markdown viewer/editor called Markdown Prism.
Website: https://prism.huconn.xyz
GitHub: https://github.com/hulryung/markdown-prism
I originally built this for myself. I wanted a lightweight Markdown viewer on macOS that:
wasn’t Electron-based
rendered GFM properly
supported LaTeX math and Mermaid diagrams
worked fully offline
Most native apps I tried were either minimal but missing key features (math, diagrams), or full-featured but Electron apps. I wanted something in between — native feel, but with the mature JS Markdown ecosystem.
How it works
It’s a hybrid approach:
SwiftUI for the native app shell
WKWebView for rendering
markdown-it, KaTeX, highlight.js, and Mermaid.js bundled locally
So you get native performance and integration (Quick Look, file watching, drag-and-drop), but still benefit from battle-tested JS rendering libraries. Everything is bundled for offline use.
Features
Split-pane editor with live preview (400ms debounce)
GFM (tables, task lists, strikethrough)
LaTeX math via KaTeX
Mermaid diagram support
Syntax highlighting (190+ languages)
Quick Look extension (preview .md in Finder)
Dark mode
File watching for external edits
Install via:
brew install hulryung/tap/markdown-prism
or download the DMG from the website.
It’s free and open source (MIT), macOS 14+.
Would love feedback — especially from people who use Markdown heavily. What’s missing? What would make this your daily Markdown tool?