Two Markdown Viewer Extensions That Actually Solve Real Problems (2025 Edition)
If you write anything in Markdown — technical docs, academic papers, weekly reports, or system architecture diagrams — you already know the pain: writing is fast, but turning it into a polished Microsoft Word document for your boss, professor, or client is a nightmare.
Two completely different Chrome extensions share the same name “Markdown Viewer,” yet they dominate the Chrome Web Store for very good reasons. One turns Markdown into pixel-perfect, editable Word files in one click. The other is the most powerful, customizable Markdown renderer ever built.
Here’s an up-to-date, no-nonsense comparison based entirely on their official documentation as of November 2025, so you can pick the right one in under five minutes.
The Two Markdown Viewers Side by Side
| Feature | xicilion’s Markdown Viewer (Word Export Focus) | simov’s Markdown Viewer (Rendering Powerhouse) |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome Web Store ID | jekhhoflgcfoikceikgeenibinpojaoi | ckkdlimhmcjmikdlpkmbgfkaikojcbjk |
| Main selling point | One-click export to fully editable Word (.docx) | Ultimate local rendering + extreme customization |
| Export to Word | Yes (the killer feature) | No |
| Mermaid → high-resolution images | Yes, automatic | Yes (toggle on) |
| LaTeX → real editable Word equations | Yes (OMML objects, not pictures) | No (MathJax rendering only) |
| Vega/Vega-Lite charts | Full support → high-res images | Not supported |
| Themes | 18+ professional (Business, Academic, Songti, Typewriter, etc.) | 30+ including GitHub, cleanrmd, custom CSS |
| Privacy | 100% local, never uploaded | 100% local, open-source MIT |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Best for | Anyone who has to hand in Word documents | Anyone who just wants beautiful reading in the browser |
Quick rule of thumb:
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Need to submit Word files regularly? → xicilion version. -
Just want every .md file to look gorgeous in the browser? → simov version.
xicilion’s Markdown Viewer – The One That Exports Perfect Word Documents
Real-World Time Savings (Verified Numbers)
| Task | Old Way | With xicilion Extension | Time Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Mermaid diagrams | ~2 hours | ~5 minutes | 115 minutes |
| Academic paper with 50+ equations | 3 hours + paid tools | ~10 minutes (free) | 170 minutes |
| Weekly team report | 1 hour | ~1 minute | 59 min/week |
| Quarterly report with 5 charts | 30 minutes | ~3 minutes | 27 minutes |
What Makes It Magical
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Mermaid & Vega-Lite → Beautiful Images Automatically
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Every diagram type (flowcharts, sequence, Gantt, class, ER, pie, etc.) becomes high-resolution vector images. -
Vega-Lite JSON charts (bar, line, heatmap, etc.) turn into crisp visuals perfect for business reports.
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LaTeX Becomes Real Word Equations
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Exported equations are native OMML objects — double-click and edit them exactly like you would in Word itself.
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18+ Ready-to-Use Professional Themes
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Business & Technical for reports -
Academic, Palatino, Garamond for papers -
Songti, Heiti, Mixed Chinese themes -
Creative ones: Typewriter, Sakura, Water ink
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Lightning-Fast Even With Huge Files
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Smart caching: 50-diagram document opens in ~5 s first time, <1 s thereafter. -
Only changed diagrams are re-rendered.
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Zero Privacy Risk
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Everything happens locally. Offline works perfectly.
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How to Install & Use (Under 2 Minutes)
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Go to Chrome Web Store → search “Markdown Viewer” -
Look for the blue “M” icon (ID starts with jekh…) -
Click “Add to Chrome” -
(Optional but recommended) To double-click local .md files: -
chrome://extensions/ → find Markdown Viewer → turn on “Allow access to file URLs”
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That’s it.
Usage:
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Double-click any .md file or drag it into Chrome -
Write or edit as usual -
Hit the download button (or Ctrl/Cmd + S) → perfect .docx appears in seconds
simov’s Markdown Viewer – The Swiss Army Knife of Markdown Rendering
This is the veteran extension (started in 2013, still actively maintained in 2025). It’s open-source, obsessively customizable, and loved by developers worldwide.
Standout Features
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Choose between three Markdown parsers (markdown-it, marked, remark) -
30+ themes including official GitHub style and custom CSS upload (<8 KB) -
Full MathJax support for beautiful equations in the browser -
Interactive Mermaid diagrams (drag to resize, Shift+wheel to zoom, pan with mouse) -
Prism syntax highlighting for 100+ languages -
Auto-generated Table of Contents -
Auto-reload on file save (great for local development) -
Granular origin permissions — only the sites you explicitly allow get rendered
Perfect if you read a lot of Markdown from GitHub Raw, internal wikis, or local folders and want total control.
Frequently Asked Questions (Nov 2025)
Can I still edit the exported Word file?
Yes — text, equations, images, everything remains fully editable.
If I change a Mermaid diagram, do I have to redo everything?
No. Edit the code → click download again → new perfect document in seconds.
Does it work well with Chinese documents?
xicilion’s version has dedicated Songti/Heiti themes that look genuinely professional.
Are there file size limits?
None. Both extensions handle 100+ diagram documents without slowing down.
Is internet required? Will my files be uploaded?
No and no. Both work 100% offline and locally.
Which browsers work?
Both work on Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, etc. simov’s version also has an official Firefox port.
How do I make double-clicking .md files open with the extension?
chrome://extensions → find the extension → enable “Allow access to file URLs”.
Can I export to PDF directly?
xicilion currently exports Word only (then “Save as PDF” in Word). Native PDF is on the roadmap.
Which One Should You Install Right Now?
| Your Situation | Recommended Extension |
|---|---|
| Regularly submit Word docs to non-technical people | xicilion (Word export) |
| Writing theses or papers with heavy equations | xicilion |
| Need perfect Chinese typography | xicilion |
| Just want every Markdown file to look amazing in the browser | simov |
| Love tweaking parsers, themes, and permissions | simov |
| Closest experience to reading a GitHub README | simov |
You can actually install both — they don’t conflict.
Final Verdict
If you’ve ever wasted hours formatting Mermaid diagrams, fixing broken equations, or making tables look decent in Word, xicilion’s Markdown Viewer will feel like a superpower.
If you simply want the most mature, flexible, and privacy-respecting Markdown reader available in 2025, simov’s Markdown Viewer is still unbeatable.
Both are free, local, and respect your privacy.
Head to the Chrome Web Store, search “Markdown Viewer,” pick the one that matches your workflow, and reclaim hours of your life every month.
Happy writing — and goodbye forever to manual formatting hell. ✨
