Compare software

mdv vs lowdown: catalog facts
mdv	lowdown
Best for: Reading Markdown files from a terminal or remote shell	Best for: People who convert Markdown documents from the command line
Free Free and open source under BSD-3-Clause.	Free Free and open source under the ISC license.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
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	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
Complex Markdown and inline HTML may not render well	Building from source may require bmake on non-BSD systems
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: ISC
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 mdv github.com/axiros/terminal_markdown_viewer Catalog checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for lowdown kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown Catalog checked October 8, 2026

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