Looq

Looq extends Finder’s built-in Quick Look with readable previews for file types that macOS often displays as plain text or generic icons. Select a file and press Space to inspect Markdown, source code, databases, diffs, archives, or folders without opening a separate viewer.

Markdown and code at a glance

• Render GitHub-flavored Markdown with tables, a navigable table of contents, KaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams, alerts, and images.
• Preview code across 200+ file types with syntax highlighting, line numbers, sticky scope headers, and configurable themes.
• Make minified JSON, XML, property lists, CSS, and SQL easier to read with automatic preview formatting.

Explore data and file contents

• Browse SQLite database tables and rows, including column types and constraints.
• View TSV files as sortable, paginated tables and inspect diff or patch files with color-coded changes.
• Examine ZIP and TAR archives without extracting them, and browse folders in list or icon views.
• Inspect metadata for app bundles, installers, disk images, and configuration profiles, including available signing information.

How it fits into macOS

Previews can update as files are edited, and Looq can remember scroll position. It offers separate Markdown and code themes, font controls, and a menu bar view for recent files and Claude Code or Codex sessions. The direct-purchase edition also includes a command-line preview tool.

Files are rendered locally rather than uploaded to Parcse. Remote images in Markdown can be fetched, while licensing, update checks, and optional diagnostics use network access.

Looq is sold as a one-time purchase starting at $10. Free-trial availability can vary. Parcse specifies macOS 15 or later for its direct edition; the Mac App Store currently lists macOS 14 or later. The App Store edition omits the command-line tool and local Markdown image support.