The macOS Markdown Editor & Viewer that Actually Renders Your Images
Most Mac Markdown apps choke on the basics — inline images don't load, big files lag, and you're stuck in one cramped window. Lode is a native macOS Markdown viewer built in Rust (Tauri 2): a live split-view that renders your images, code blocks, and tables instantly.
Free trial · Universal Binary (Apple Silicon + Intel) · no Homebrew, no Electron.
Live split-view: source on the left, fully rendered Markdown on the right.
Why Lode beats lightweight Markdown editors
- Images that actually show. Inline
render natively through the asset pipeline — no more "cannot display image" placeholders in your macOS Markdown editor. - Built in Rust, so it's fast. A 50 MB Markdown note opens about as fast as a one-liner. Very large files stream via mmap with virtual scrolling.
- Live split-view preview with syntax-highlighted code blocks, tables, blockquotes and task lists.
- More than Markdown. Folder diff, blazing full-text search, and read-only git review share the exact same window.
- Local-first & private. Works fully offline. Zero telemetry. Your notes and images never leave your Mac.
See your images render — not break
Drop a folder of notes into Lode and open any .md file. Screenshots, diagrams and photos referenced inline appear right inside the preview — the way a Markdown viewer should work.
Inline images render natively — no broken placeholders.
Lode vs. typical Mac Markdown editors
| Typical Markdown editor | Lode | |
|---|---|---|
| Inline images | ✕ often broken | ✓ native render |
| Engine | Electron / WebView | Rust + Tauri 2 |
| Large files | ✕ lag / freeze | ✓ mmap, virtual scroll |
| Diff / Search / Git | ✕ | ✓ built in |
| Telemetry | Often | None |
Looking for a full feature-by-feature breakdown? See Lode vs Beyond Compare & Kaleidoscope →
Markdown is just one of six modes
Lode is a native macOS workbench. The same window that's your Markdown viewer is also a folder comparator, a fast searcher, and a git reviewer:
Frequently asked questions
Does Lode render inline images in Markdown on macOS?
Yes. Lode is a native macOS Markdown viewer that renders inline images written as  directly through its asset pipeline, so local screenshots and diagrams display instantly without a "cannot display image" placeholder.
Is Lode built on Electron?
No. Lode is built in Rust with Tauri 2, not Electron. A 50 MB Markdown note opens about as fast as a one-line file, and very large documents stream via mmap with virtual scrolling instead of freezing the window.
Is the Lode Markdown viewer private and offline?
Yes. Lode is local-first, works fully offline, and ships with zero telemetry. Your Markdown files and images never leave your Mac, and license verification also runs offline.
Get a Markdown viewer that respects your files
Native macOS. Rust-fast. Renders your images. Free trial — no Homebrew, no Electron.