#MD SoloMD
v0.1.0 · MIT · Cross-platform

One file. One window.
Just write.

A lightweight, distraction-free Markdown + plain text editor for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Built with Tauri 2 — under 15 MB installed.

⬇ Download SoloMD Star on GitHub ⭐
See all platforms ↓
📝 Live preview🖼 Image paste🧮 KaTeX📊 Mermaid🌏 中文 first-class📤 PDF / DOCX / HTML

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

SoloMD ships with the features serious writers want and skips the bloat that gets in the way.

✨

Live Preview

Markdown markers fade away when you leave a line. Headings get bigger, bold gets bold — no toolbars in the way.

🎨

Rich syntax styling

13 code-block languages, KaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams, footnotes, YAML front-matter, ==highlight==.

🖼

Image paste & drag-drop

Screenshot then ⌘V — image saves to _assets/ and inserts a markdown link automatically.

🌳

File tree + global search

Open a folder, browse files, ripgrep-style search across every .md and .txt.

🌗

Light & dark themes

Follows your system preference. Custom CSS theme support for power users.

🌏

Chinese first-class

Auto encoding detection (UTF-8 / GBK / Big5), CJK word count, simplified ↔ traditional, pinyin export.

📤

Export anywhere

PDF (with KaTeX & Mermaid), Word .docx, HTML, copy as rich HTML or plain text.

🎯

Focus & typewriter modes

Dim non-active lines. Keep cursor centered. Long-form writing without distraction.

💾

Session restore

Auto-save unsaved buffers every 500 ms. Crash recovery built in.

⌨️

Command palette

⌘⇧K to access every command. Native menu bar on macOS / Windows / Linux.

🔌

OS file association

Double-click any .md or .txt file to open in SoloMD. Multi-window support.

🦀

Tiny & fast

~15 MB installer (vs Typora 70 MB / Obsidian 110 MB). Tauri 2 + Rust + Vue 3 + CodeMirror 6.

How SoloMD compares

A clear-eyed look at where SoloMD fits in the Markdown editor landscape.

SoloMD Typora MarkText Obsidian
Installer size ~15 MB ~70 MB ~80 MB ~110 MB
Price Free, MIT $14.99 Free Free + $96/yr sync
Open source ✅ ❌ ✅ (dormant) ❌
Live preview ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
KaTeX math ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Mermaid diagrams ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Image paste ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Global search ✅ 🟡 ❌ ✅
CJK encoding (GBK/Big5) ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌
Custom CSS ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Native menu bar ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Notarized macOS ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

Download SoloMD v0.1.0

Free and open source. MIT license. No account needed.

macOS: Drag SoloMD.app to /Applications. Notarized — no Gatekeeper warning.
Windows: First launch may show "Windows protected your PC" → click More info → Run anyway (one-time, until reputation builds).
Linux: chmod +x SoloMD-*.AppImage && ./SoloMD-*.AppImage for the AppImage.

Looking for older versions? All releases →

Frequently asked questions

Is SoloMD really free?

Yes. SoloMD is MIT-licensed open-source software. There is no paid tier, no account, no telemetry, no ads. If it helps your writing you can sponsor the developer, but you never have to.

How big is the installer?

About 10–15 MB depending on the platform. That is roughly 6× smaller than Typora and 7× smaller than Obsidian, because SoloMD uses Tauri (system webview + Rust) instead of bundling Chromium.

Does it work offline?

Yes, fully. SoloMD makes zero network requests. There is no cloud, no telemetry, no auto-update phoning home. Your files never leave your machine.

How does SoloMD handle non-UTF-8 files like GBK / Big5?

SoloMD auto-detects encoding using the chardetng Rust crate when you open a file. UTF-8, UTF-16 LE/BE (with or without BOM), GBK, GB18030, Big5, Shift_JIS and many more are recognized and correctly displayed.

Can I sync my notes to other devices?

SoloMD does not have built-in sync, but it works perfectly with iCloud Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Syncthing, or any folder-based sync tool. Just save your notes inside a synced folder.

Why are there no plugins?

SoloMD intentionally omits a plugin system to stay lightweight and stable. The 12 most-requested features (image paste, KaTeX, Mermaid, focus mode, custom CSS, etc.) ship in core.

Why did "Windows protected your PC" pop up on first launch?

SoloMD is a small open-source project that has not yet built up Microsoft SmartScreen reputation. Click "More info → Run anyway" once and it will not prompt again. We are working on a code-signing certificate.

How do I open .md files with SoloMD by default?

Right-click any .md file → Open With → SoloMD → check "Always use this app". The bundled installer registers SoloMD as a handler for .md, .markdown, .mdown, .mkd, and .txt extensions.

What is the difference between SoloMD and Obsidian?

Obsidian is a knowledge management tool with vaults, wiki links, backlinks, a graph view, and a plugin marketplace. SoloMD is a lightweight editor for writing single Markdown files. Use Obsidian if you want a second brain; use SoloMD if you want a fast notepad.

Does SoloMD support Vim or Emacs key bindings?

Not yet, but the editor is built on CodeMirror 6 which supports Vim mode via @codemirror/vim. It is on the roadmap.