Koala for Markdown

Local-first Markdown browser and editor

Turn any Markdown folder into a navigable knowledge base.

Koala helps you browse, read and edit Markdown across your local folders and repos with a calm outline-first interface built for long docs.

Open a folder. Pick a file. Jump through headings. Edit when you need to. No import. No account. No proprietary format.

Download free See how it works

Free during early access.

The real problem

Markdown is great. Finding your way through it is not.

Your docs are probably scattered across repos, folders, READMEs, ADRs, notes and project directories.

That works fine until you need to understand something quickly.

You end up jumping between file trees, previews, editors, search results and browser tabs just to answer one question.

Koala gives your Markdown a better front door.

Core workflow

Open a folder.
Understand it faster.

Koala scans your Markdown workspace and gives you a clean way to browse it. Move through files, headings and sections without losing context. Preview Markdown beautifully, switch into editing when needed, and keep everything as plain local files.

01 Open a folder ~/work/platform-docs
02 Browse Markdown files Koala
03 Jump through headings like slides # Overview -> ## Rollback

Folder of messy Markdown -> Koala -> clean navigable knowledge base

No migration. No cloud account. No lock-in.

What Koala makes easier

Your Markdown already has structure. Koala makes it visible.

#

Presentation-like navigation

Move through Markdown headings like slides, not walls of text.

./

Local-first

Your files stay on your machine, in plain Markdown.

ok

No account required

Open Koala and start browsing. No signup needed.

md

Works with existing files

Use the folders, repos and notes you already have.

git

Git-friendly

Koala edits normal Markdown files, so your existing Git workflow keeps working.

{ }

Built for technical docs

Code blocks, tables, links, images, Mermaid, D2 and GitHub-style Markdown.

find

Fast folder discovery

Open a project and quickly see the Markdown that matters.

I/O

Preview and edit

Read comfortably, then switch into editing when you need to make a change.

Navigation

A smarter way to move through Markdown

Long Markdown files should not feel like walls of text. Koala builds a clean outline from your headings, giving you a presentation-like way to move through each document section by section.

READMEs architecture docs ADRs platform docs project notes technical guides personal knowledge folders
# Platform Runtime ## Overview ## Environments ## Deployment Flow ### Blue / green ## Observability
Platform Runtime Overview Environments Deployment Flow Blue / green Observability
local folder platform-docs/ README.md AGENTS.md adr/001-use-kubernetes.md adr/002-event-bus-on-kafka.md adr/003-postgres-as-source-of-truth.md runbooks/incident-response.md runbooks/database-failover.md
Git VS Code Terminal Koala

Workflow

Browse your docs without changing your workflow

Koala works with the Markdown files you already have. Open a local folder or repo and start browsing. Your files stay on disk, in plain Markdown, ready for Git, VS Code, terminal tools or any other workflow you already use.

  • No import step.
  • No custom database.
  • No proprietary document format.

Reader and editor

Reader when you need focus. Editor when you need control.

Sometimes you just want to read. Sometimes you need to fix the doc immediately. Koala makes it easy to switch between a clean preview experience and Markdown editing, so you can move from understanding to action without changing tools.

Preview Edit

Rollback Strategy

Every release includes a tested rollback path and owner.

Keep rollback steps close to the deployment notes.
## Rollback Strategy

- Confirm owner
- Revert deploy
- Update incident note

> Keep rollback steps close.

Differentiator

Not just another Markdown editor

Most Markdown apps focus on writing. Koala focuses on understanding what you already have.

It is for the moment when you open an unfamiliar repo, inherit a messy docs folder, revisit an old project, or need to make sense of Markdown spread across many files.

Koala helps you answer:

  • What docs exist here?
  • Which files matter?
  • What is inside this long document?
  • Where is the section I need?
  • Can I edit it quickly without leaving the flow?

Use cases

Built for people who already live in Markdown

For developers

Understand repos faster

Open a repo and quickly move through READMEs, docs, examples, ADRs and project notes. Koala helps you orient yourself before you dive into the code.

For platform engineers

Make internal docs easier to navigate

Platform docs often live across many repos and folders. Koala gives you a clean way to browse architecture notes, service docs, onboarding guides, ADRs and operational runbooks without needing a full documentation portal.

For builders

Keep your notes in Markdown

Use simple files. Keep them in folders. Search, browse and edit them locally. Koala gives your Markdown notes a better interface without taking ownership of your workflow.

For documentation-heavy projects

Give scattered docs a front door

Koala helps turn a folder of Markdown into something that feels closer to a lightweight knowledge base. Useful for projects that are not ready for a full docs site, but have outgrown raw file browsing.

Local-first trust

Your Markdown belongs to you.

Koala is designed around a simple idea: your files should stay yours. It works with local files, does not require an account, and does not force your notes or docs into someone else's system.

That makes it useful for personal notes, private repos, client projects and internal engineering docs.

Local-first Plain Markdown No account required No proprietary format Git-friendly Works with existing folders

Rich support, out of the box

Everything technical Markdown actually needs.

Diagrams, syntax-highlighted code, full GitHub-flavored Markdown and export to HTML or PDF. Nothing to configure - it just renders.

Diagrams

Mermaid + D2, rendered inline

  • Flowcharts
  • Sequence diagrams
  • Class diagrams
  • State diagrams
  • ER diagrams
  • Gantt charts
  • Pie / quadrant
  • Mindmap / timeline
  • Git graphs
  • D2 graphs
Syntax

180+ languages highlighted

  • go
  • typescript
  • javascript
  • python
  • rust
  • java
  • c
  • c++
  • ruby
  • kotlin
  • swift
  • shell
  • sql
  • yaml
  • json
  • html
  • css
  • terraform
  • dockerfile
  • graphql

...and many more.

Markdown

Full GitHub-flavored support

  • Headings (H1-H6) with anchors
  • Bold, italic, strikethrough
  • Ordered & nested lists
  • Task list checkboxes
  • Tables
  • Images
  • Links & cross-file links
  • Blockquotes
  • Inline + fenced code
  • Horizontal rules
Export

Share without the source

  • Save as HTML (lossless)
  • Save as PDF (image)
  • Open rendered in browser
  • Print -> Save as PDF
  • Diagram-aware exports

See the full capability matrix ->

Early access

Download Koala for your machine

Free while early access is open. No account, no signup. A paid version may be introduced later for advanced features.

Detecting your platform…

Download Koala

All platforms

FAQ

Plain answers for a plain-file tool.

Is Koala another Markdown editor?

Yes and no. Koala can edit Markdown, but the bigger idea is browsing and understanding Markdown across folders and repos. It is designed for people who already have lots of Markdown and want a better way to move through it.

Do I need to import my files?

No. Koala works with your existing Markdown files where they already live.

Does Koala use a proprietary format?

No. Your files remain plain Markdown.

Do I need an account?

No. Koala is local-first and does not require an account to get started.

Is Koala for developers?

Developers will probably feel at home immediately, especially if their Markdown lives in Git repos. But Koala can also work well for notes, writing folders, project docs and personal knowledge bases.

Is Koala free?

Koala is currently free during early access. A paid version may be introduced later for advanced features.

Your Markdown is already valuable. Koala just makes it easier to use.

Stop digging through folders and previews. Open your Markdown in Koala and browse it like a clean, local knowledge base.

Download Koala free