Compare software

mdv vs mdless: catalog facts
mdv	mdless
Best for: Reading Markdown files from a terminal or remote shell	Best for: Reading and browsing Markdown documents from a terminal
Free Free and open source under BSD-3-Clause.	Free Free and open source under the MIT license.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	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	Formats tables and Markdown syntax in the terminal Includes a pager with pipe support All 3 strengths for mdless Formats tables and Markdown syntax in the terminal Includes a pager with pipe support Can navigate by headings and display selected sections
Complex Markdown and inline HTML may not render well	Image display and code highlighting require separate compatible tools
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: MIT
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 mdless github.com/ttscoff/mdless Catalog checked October 8, 2026

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