preview links
http and https links in rendered markdown now open in your browser.
the calm markdown editor for the notes and context bundles you share with ai. local-first, MIT, macOS · Windows · Linux.
notarized · auto-updating · v1.5.11 · MIT release notes →
local-first · MIT · macOS 13+ · Windows 10+ · Linux x86_64 · no telemetry
v1.5.11
The latest v1.5 update keeps the workspace loop smoother: browser-safe preview links, steadier selection sync, remembered scroll positions, and cleaner sidebar scrolling. v1.5.9 closes 3 issues, with 12 closed across the v1.5 cycle so far.
preview links
http and https links in rendered markdown now open in your browser.
scroll memory
switch files without losing your editor and preview position.
selection sync
text selections use source-line hints for more reliable editor and preview matching.
community loop
shipped with contributor PRs and feedback from people testing the app in the wild.
made for the keyboard.
14 themes, grouped like the app menu.
mono for focus, catppuccin for comfort, crafted palettes for long writing, and AI-inspired themes for Claude, Codex, Gemini, and Cursor.
neutral
system + mono
quiet black/white modes for plain writing.
catppuccin
latte → mocha
soft pastel ramp when you want the familiar catppuccin feel.
ai
claude · codex · gemini · cursor
brand-inspired palettes for the tools your notes usually end up in.
crafted
matcha · kanagawa · rose pine · ayu
handpicked writing moods for longer sessions.
how it works
features
stage markdown files from one folder or many, track file/token counts, and copy one AI-ready bundle with relative paths.
open multiple roots, keep each folder separated, pin favorites, and drag files between folders. your context library, organized like a project.
edit on the left, watch markdown render on the right. mermaid + shiki, all live.
⌘. for a calm preview-only view (great for proofing). ⌘⇧. for editor-only when you just want to write. mirror modes, mutually exclusive.
copy the current file as clean markdown, or stage several files and copy one context bundle. paste into claude, chatgpt, gemini, your local agent — anywhere that reads text.
peek into safe plain-text files beside your markdown notes. useful for prompts, configs, logs, and mixed project folders.
toggle from the theme menu. NORMAL/INSERT/VISUAL/REPLACE pill in the status bar. hjkl, dd, yy, : command bar — full vim defaults via @replit/codemirror-vim. lazy-loaded so non-vim users don't pay the ~200KB cost.
⌘F find/replace, ⌘⌥Z undo file ops, ⌘K command palette grouped by category. grouped themes too — mono, catppuccin, crafted palettes, and AI-inspired Claude / Codex / Gemini / Cursor.
your notes never leave your machine. no telemetry, no cloud, no account. just files.
~240 MB resident on macOS. shiki themes + 36 langs lazy-loaded only when you actually hit them. mermaid only loads when a doc has a diagram. tauri 2 + native webview, zero electron bloat.
in the wild
early mentions, directories, and release signals from the places people actually find small tools.
⭐ 245 stars · ⑂ 14 forks · ⬇ 4,473+ downloads
faq
yes. free, MIT licensed, open source. no trial, no upgrade tier, no "pro" version. if it saves you time, a github star is the only ask 🐙
100%. marka.md is local-first. no telemetry, no analytics, no cloud sync, no accounts. your .md files stay on disk. the only time anything leaves your machine is when you copy markdown or a staged context bundle — then it's in your clipboard, and you decide where it goes.
all three ship today. macOS (notarized + auto-updating, with a Homebrew cask at mattenarle10/tap/marka-md), Windows (unsigned — SmartScreen → "More info" → "Run anyway" on first install), and Linux (AppImage works on any distro, .deb for Debian/Ubuntu/Mint/Pop!_OS, .rpm for Fedora/RHEL/Rocky/openSUSE). we don't sign Windows builds because paid certs aren't worth it for a free MIT project — full source on GitHub if you want to inspect or build yourself.
auto-update via signed releases. marka.md checks for new versions on launch (and on demand from the ⌘K palette). when a new release lands, it downloads in the background, verifies via minisign, and prompts to relaunch. Homebrew installs can also update with brew update && brew upgrade --cask marka-md.
those are great. marka.md isn't trying to replace them as your main editor — it's a focused tool for one specific loop: open a folder of .md, edit, stage files for context, copy clean markdown, paste into Claude / ChatGPT / any AI chat. if obsidian's vault + plugins feel right for you, you don't need this.
those are full code editors. marka.md is single-purpose: a calm markdown editor for the loop of "collect notes → write context → share with ai". if you already live in VS Code / Cursor / Zed, you don't need this — open .md from there and you're fine. marka.md exists for people who want a focused space for that workflow without the language-server / extension noise.
yes — opt-in. open the theme menu and toggle "vim mode" under editor. status bar shows a colored pill (NORMAL/INSERT/VISUAL/REPLACE) so you always know where you are. uses @replit/codemirror-vim, lazy-loaded — non-vim users don't pay the cost.
head to the feedback page — pick the github form for ideas/bugs, or just email me. i read everything. for security issues see SECURITY.md. PRs welcome.
