Downright

What the app does

Downright is a free, open source Markdown editor and reader for macOS that opens the files a user already has wherever they already live, with no library to import, vault to maintain, account to create or web view pretending to be a desktop app. The interface and renderer are built with AppKit and TextKit 2, which the README says means native selection, keyboard behavior, menus, typography, accessibility and performance, while the original Markdown stays authoritative on disk. It renders CommonMark as the portable baseline and uses GitHub flavored Markdown as the default interchange target, also rendering opt in extensions without rewriting them into a proprietary format. Supported file types include md, markdown, mdown, mkd, mdx, mdc, qmd and rmd.

Features and supported formats

The feature table splits reading and editing. Reading offers native CommonMark and GFM rendering, beautiful typography with six themes, math, Mermaid, tables, tasks, callouts, images and footnotes, plus Quick Look previews and Finder thumbnails. Editing keeps the exact source authoritative, shares position and selection between document and source views, tracks external changes safely with conflict protection, keeps local snapshots and a version timeline, and supports outline, structural zoom and density navigation. It can search sibling files without creating a vault and exports to HTML and PDF, with Services and Spotlight metadata. Two terminal commands, down and md, are included. The README points to a Markdown compatibility document for the exact boundary, including safe raw HTML behavior.

Distribution and requirements

Downright is free and open source under the MIT license, requires macOS 14 or later, and is signed and notarized with no account and fully offline. It can be downloaded as a disk image from downright.cc, installed through a public Homebrew tap with a trust command, or built from source. The repository carries 33 stars with no forks and one open issue, the default branch is main, and the homepage is downright.cc. The practical takeaway is a genuinely native Mac Markdown tool that treats files as files rather than a proprietary library, with system level integration such as Quick Look and Finder thumbnails, aimed at users who want precise source control and native feel over cloud features.

Editorial conclusion

Downright is an MIT licensed native macOS Markdown editor on the main branch with 33 stars that requires macOS 14 or later, is signed and notarized, distributes through a disk image or Homebrew tap, and builds on AppKit and TextKit 2 for native rendering and Finder integration.