Compare software

lowdown vs mdv: catalog facts
lowdown	mdv
Best for: People who convert Markdown documents from the command line	Best for: Reading Markdown files from a terminal or remote shell
Free Free and open source under the ISC license.	Free Free and open source under BSD-3-Clause.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Renders Markdown to several document and terminal formats Includes a tool for comparing Markdown files All 3 strengths for lowdown Renders Markdown to several document and terminal formats Includes a tool for comparing Markdown files Portable C tools with no dependencies	Renders Markdown directly in a terminal Can display Markdown docstrings in source code All 3 strengths for mdv Renders Markdown directly in a terminal Can display Markdown docstrings in source code Supports configurable colors and themes
Building from source may require bmake on non-BSD systems	Complex Markdown and inline HTML may not render well
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: ISC	License: BSD-3-Clause
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for lowdown kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown Catalog checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for mdv github.com/axiros/terminal_markdown_viewer Catalog checked October 8, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.