Does it work offline?
Yep. Vanilla works with local files on your Mac, so once the app is installed, your docs do not need an internet connection to be readable.
A markdown viewer for devs
Markdown viewer,
plain and simple.
You write markdown everywhere. READMEs, docs, notes, wikis, and now your AI agents do too. But when you want to just read one? You get an editor, a toolbar, and seventeen features you didn't ask for. Vanilla is the one that skips all that.
The full scoop
Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.
Open one file, a folder, or the whole docs tree. Vanilla keeps the reading part and skips the editor circus. And yes, there's a free version if you just want a taste.
Folders, trees, the whole forest
Open folders, browse the tree, and pin the docs you live in.
Links that actually work
Relative links, anchors, and ~/ paths land where they should.
Table of contents that keeps up
Jump by heading, track your place, and skip the endless scrolling.
Keyboard-first, mouse-optional
Switch files, jump sections, search, and go back without leaving the keyboard.
Tables, task lists, the works
Tables, task lists, code blocks, and the usual README creatures all render properly.
Read-only. That's the point.
No cursor, no toolbar, no accidental edits. Just reading.
Navigate like you mean it
Your docs are connected.
Your viewer should be too.
Back and forward through your viewing history. Command-palette to jump to any heading or switch between files. A links panel that lists every URL and file path in the document.
It's a viewer that understands your documentation isn't just one file, it's a web of references, relative paths, and cross-links. Vanilla lets you move through it the way your brain already does.
And also
The small things
that matter.
The details you'll notice after a week of use and quietly appreciate.
Find in document
Full-text search with highlighted matches and wrap-around. Shows where you are in the results. Case and diacritic insensitive, because not everyone types accents.
Native HTML rendering
Your markdown is rendered through a fast, native HTML engine. Tables, embedded HTML, task lists, everything comes out clean and sharp.
Copy as anything
Plain text, markdown source, or rich text. Whatever your clipboard destination needs. Right-click links to copy paths or URLs too.
Session memory
Quit and relaunch, your files, folders, zoom level, and preferences are exactly where you left them. Like a good bookmark.
Dark, light, or system
Every surface and accent adapts. Looks equally good at 2pm and 2am.
Document links panel
Every link in your file, collected in the sidebar. Filter, open in browser, reveal in Finder, or copy the path. No more hunting through source.
Pricing
Pay once, own it forever. iOS and iPad are included when they ship.
馃崹 The full ice cream
Vanilla Markdown
$10
One-time purchase 路 Lifetime 路 All platforms
Everything and forever
- Files, folders, and whole doc trees
- Smart links, table of contents, and links panel
- Recents, pinning, and file navigation
- History and keyboard-first navigation
.
Vanilla Markdown Free
$0
Just want the scoop?
The plain viewer
- One file at a time
- Full markdown rendering
- Search and section jumps
Before you ask
Three quick scoops.
The usual last questions, answered before you go poking around the FAQ.
Is it an editor?
Nope. That's the whole bit. Vanilla is a viewer, which means no cursor, no formatting toolbar, and no accidental "whoops, I changed it."
What does the paid version unlock?
Folders, multi-file navigation, links, recents, pinning, and the whole proper-docs experience. The free one is for when one file is enough.