The free answer: Google Docs
Google began rolling out native markdown support on October 5, 2026, for Workspace and personal Google accounts. Upload a .md file to Drive and the preview shows it formatted; open it in Docs and you can edit and comment without converting it. If your file needs to be shared and discussed with a team that already works in Drive, that is a good answer, and it costs nothing.
Where a Mac reader is better
Google Docs now opens .md files: upload required, no reading themes or designed typography, no Quick Look, and the document lives on Google’s servers.
- No upload. A local reader opens the file where it is. Useful when the answer contains code, client names or anything you would rather not put in the cloud.
- Typography and themes. Lumd sets long AI output like a well-designed book page, in the theme you choose.
- Offline. On a plane, on a train, or on a locked-down work network.
- Finder integration. Double-click to open, Space to Quick Look. No browser tab.
- A PDF worth sending. Export the page in its theme, made on your Mac.
A quick rule of thumb
- Collaborating? Google Docs.
- Reading, keeping private, or sharing a polished PDF? A Mac reader like Lumd.
Lots of people will use both. See how Lumd compares with Google Docs, Marked, Typora and free viewers on the comparison page.