Rhyolite

Rhyolite — Free Download. Native Markdown editor
Rhyolite is a Markdown document editor built entirely in Rust using the Freya GUI library. The application operates without web framework dependencies, processing .md files with live preview. Compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux through native installers. The project focuses on performance via direct rendering without abstraction layers.
4.5(2 ratings)

Download Rhyolite (Official links)
File size: 4.75 MB
The latest version of Rhyolite is: 0.1.10
Operating system: Windows, Linux, MacOS
Languages: English
Price: $0.00 USD

  • Markdown file editing. Rhyolite enables opening, modifying and saving documents using standard Markdown syntax. The editor recognizes headings, lists, links, images, tables, code blocks and quotes. Changes reflect immediately in the preview area, maintaining consistency between source code and rendered output.
  • Synchronized real-time preview. The interface splits the window into two panels: left for plain text editing and right for rendered document visualization. Writing or modifying any element instantly updates the preview without manual compilation. Scrolling of both panels remains synchronized to facilitate editing.
  • Multiple tab system. Rhyolite manages several open files simultaneously through a tab system at the top of the window. Each document retains its independent state, allowing switching between files without closing unused ones. Tabs display the filename and include a close button.
  • Export to HTML. The export function converts any open Markdown document into a self-contained HTML file. The process preserves original formatting including basic styles for headings, lists, code and tables. The generated file renders in any web browser without external dependencies.
  • Configurable keyboard shortcuts. Rhyolite incorporates key combinations for frequent operations such as saving file (Ctrl+S), opening document (Ctrl+O), creating new file (Ctrl+N) and switching between tabs (Ctrl+Tab). Shortcuts accelerate workflow by reducing mouse dependency.
  • Syntax highlighting in code blocks. Code blocks inside Markdown documents display colors specific to the declared programming language. Highlighting applies to languages including Rust, Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Java, C++, Go and others. This feature improves code readability within technical documents.
  • Text search and replace. The editor includes a search panel that locates text strings within the active document. The replace function allows substituting individual occurrences or all matches found. Search optionally distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters.
  • Word and character counting. Rhyolite displays current document statistics: total word count, character count (including spaces) and line count. Information appears in the bottom status bar and updates automatically when modifying content. This function helps meet length limits for articles or documentation.
  • Adjustable interface zoom. The application allows increasing or decreasing font size in both editing and preview panels using keyboard combinations (Ctrl+'+' and Ctrl+'-'). Zoom affects exclusively the workspace, not interface elements like tabs or menus, adapting to user visual preferences.
  • Automatic session saving. Rhyolite preserves open files and cursor position when closing the application. Upon restarting the program, all unsaved documents automatically restore with tabs organized in the same order. This function prevents information loss from accidental closures.
  • Light and dark theme support. The editor offers two built-in color schemes: light theme with white background and black text, and dark theme with black or dark gray background and light text. Switching between themes affects both editing panel and preview, reducing eye strain in low-light environments.
  • Drag and drop file opening. Markdown documents can be opened by dragging them directly from the operating system file explorer into the Rhyolite window. The program automatically detects the dragged file and opens it in a new tab, preserving already existing documents.
  • Document printing. Rhyolite sends the rendered Markdown document content to the operating system printing system. Before printing, the user can configure margins, page orientation (portrait or landscape) and scale. Printing respects the visual format of the preview including headings, lists and code blocks.
  • Heading structure navigation. The editor generates an automatic table of contents based on headings (H1 through H6 levels) present in the document. Clicking any entry in the table scrolls the view directly to that section. This function facilitates navigation in long documents with multiple hierarchical sections.
  • Quick command palette. A popup window displays all available commands with their respective keyboard shortcuts. The user executes actions by typing the command name or browsing the categorized list. The palette activates via key combination and accelerates access to less frequent functions.

Rhyolite development began in 2024 as a fork of the Fextify project. Initially using Tauri v1 with SvelteKit frontend, main author Suyog Tandel (alias RedddFoxxyy) decided to completely rewrite the application from scratch. In 2025, the project migrated from Tauri to Freya, a native Rust GUI library, eliminating all web framework dependencies. The current version is written entirely in Rust, compiling to native machine code for each supported platform. Source code distributes under GPL-3.0 license and is available on GitHub. The 0.1.10-freeze branch contains the obsolete Tauri-based version which no longer receives maintenance. Active development continues on the master branch, prioritizing complete migration to Freya.


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