Markdown editors turn plain text with simple symbols into formatted output, from quiet desktop windows to shared notes on a server.
This guide ranks by who stands behind each editor, how much the first ninety days cost in setup time, what a licence or trial really means, whether your files leave cleanly, and which platform the tool actually serves.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
In short
What markdown editors software does
A Markdown editor is a writing app that turns lightly marked plain text into formatted documents, with live preview, export to PDF or Word, and sometimes shared work.
In this order: setup effort, what it really costs, how your data comes back out, whether you can leave, and who each markdown editors tool is built for. One rule overrides the order: smaller vendors take the first three places when the category offers them, and the best-known brands start at four. Reasons for the choice of tests, and for skipping a score out of ten, can be read on the how we work page.
Citation-aware Markdown editor for academics, kept on local files
Ranked #1 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Free tierOpen sourcePublished pricingElsewhere
The footer gives the copyright to Hendrik Erz for 2017 to 2026 and says development happens between Sweden and Germany, with a word missing from the sentence. Funding comes through donations.
Writers get Zotero, JabRef and Juris-M links, over 9,000 citation styles and Pandoc profiles with templates for journals, conferences, Beamer, reveal.js and PowerPoint. The privacy claim is concrete: nothing is forced into a cloud, and no telemetry runs. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
What stands out
Citation styles
Pandoc profiles
Local files
Where it costs you
The open-source licence is never named on the page that was read.
No legal address or company is shown, only a personal copyright line.
Right for
Researchers writing papers or theses who need citations and journal templates
Wrong for
Teams wanting several people editing one note together
Not stated by the vendorFree and open source, supported by donations; no paid tiers shown
Single-pane live preview editor with themes and wide export
Ranked #2 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Typora removes the split between source and preview, which suits long documents where you want headings and tables as they will print. Themes are plain CSS, so house styles can be built.
Output reaches Word, LaTeX and Epub, and PDFs keep their bookmarks. The cost is a licence, tried first for 15 days across up to 3 devices, and the vendor leaves owner and country unstated.
What stands out
Live preview
CSS themes
Epub and LaTeX
Where it costs you
The page does not say whether the licence fee is one-time or recurring.
The footer links to appmakes.io but never names the owner.
Right for
Solo writers who want the finished look while typing, with many export formats
Wrong for
Anyone needing a free tool after the trial ends
Not stated by the vendorLicence fee listed on the site, per licence; 15-day trial only
GNOME-native Markdown writer with distraction-free mode and sepia theme
Ranked #3 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Apostrophe is a small writing tool rather than a workspace. Its feature list covers a distraction-free mode, three themes, live preview, spellcheck and document statistics, with several office and print outputs.
The page names Manuel Genovés as maintainer, active on GitLab, and licenses app-specific content under GPL-3.0+. Nothing on it mentions collaboration or sync, so it stays a single-writer tool.
What stands out
GNOME
Flathub
Sepia theme
Where it costs you
Installation is described only through Flathub, with no macOS or Windows download listed.
Donations are the only funding route shown, with no support plan.
Right for
Linux desktop users who want a quiet writing window with solid export
Wrong for
Mac and Windows users looking for a native app
Not stated by the vendorFree to install from Flathub; donations optional through PayPal
Open-source WYSIWYG Markdown editor for Linux, macOS and Windows
Ranked #4 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Because MarkText lives as a GitHub repository, the evidence is the repository itself: 2,497 commits on the develop branch, an MIT licence and a feature list of real-time preview, CommonMark, GitHub Flavored Markdown and KaTeX.
Export reaches HTML and PDF. The same page shows 6 open pull requests and calls the work in development, which signals an unfinished tool whose pace depends on volunteers.
What stands out
MIT licence
KaTeX math
GitHub project
Where it costs you
The README describes the project as in development, with 221 open issues listed.
No company, support contact or release date is shown on the repository page.
Right for
Developers wanting a free cross-platform editor with a visible licence
Wrong for
Teams that need a supported product with a vendor
Not stated by the vendorCosts nothing; MIT licence, with no commercial plan listed
Focus-first writing app that tracks typed versus pasted text
Ranked #5 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The pitch is restraint: Focus Mode, a Markdown preview with styling, and an interface with no buttons, popups or title bar. Authorship tracking separates typed from pasted text, which helps anyone who must show original writing, and Style Check is said to run on the device.
A week-long trial needs no card. Pricing is only partly visible, since just the iPhone and iPad version is called a one-time payment.
What stands out
Authorship tracking
Focus Mode
On-device Style Check
Where it costs you
The page shows no prices or currency, so the cost is unclear before the trial.
Licence and country of the vendor are not stated on the page that was read.
Right for
Writers who want an empty screen and proof of what they typed themselves
Wrong for
Buyers who need to see prices before starting
Not stated by the vendorSeven-day trial without card; iPhone and iPad version sold as a one-time payment
KDE-hosted Markdown editor with Hemingway Mode and Pandoc export
Ranked #6 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Ghostwriter pairs a calm writing view with numbers: live word count, Document and Session Statistics, a sidebar outline, autosave and file backups. Themes can be customised, and a live HTML preview sits beside the text.
Hemingway Mode removes backspace and delete to force forward drafting. Export and MathJax run through Pandoc, MultiMarkdown or commonmark. The KDE Webmasters maintain it, and the page shows no pricing at all.
What stands out
GPL-3.0
Hemingway Mode
KDE project
Where it costs you
Export and MathJax equations depend on Pandoc being available.
The page shows no support plan, only the open-source project and its maintainers.
Right for
Writers who want a free editor with statistics and a no-delete drafting mode
Wrong for
Users who need real-time sharing of notes with colleagues
Not stated by the vendorGPL-3.0 licensed and free of charge; the page shows no price
Open-source Markdown editor for macOS with fenced-code highlighting
Ranked #7 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Free tierOpen sourcePublished pricingElsewhere
MacDown targets people who paste code. Highlighting covers fenced blocks, rendering is configurable, and completion is advanced. The developer, Tzu-ping Chung, credits Chen Luo's Mou as the main influence, and the licence is MIT.
At about 19.9 MB, it installs by download or through Homebrew Cask. Beyond that the page gives little, and it says nothing about export, sync or platforms other than macOS.
What stands out
macOS only
Fenced code
Homebrew Cask
Where it costs you
The page lists no export formats, so output options are unconfirmed.
It is described as a macOS editor, with no Windows or Linux build mentioned.
Right for
Mac developers writing technical notes with code blocks and a small install
Wrong for
Windows or Linux users and anyone needing shared editing
Not stated by the vendorFree to use and open source, MIT licensed; no price listed
Mac preview and review tool that reads files from any editor
Ranked #8 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Marked 2 works beside the editor you already use, rebuilding its preview on every save. The extras are editorial: readability scores, link validation, and CriticMarkup for review comments.
Results leave as HTML, PDF, Word or email-ready rich text. A week is the only try-out listed, you buy via Paddle or the Mac App Store, and the oldest supported system is macOS 10.12.
What stands out
Preview companion
Readability scores
Link validation
Where it costs you
It needs a separate editor, because typing happens elsewhere.
No price, company or country is named on the pages that were read.
Right for
Mac writers who edit elsewhere and want scores, link checks and exports
Wrong for
Anyone wanting a single app that edits and previews
Not stated by the vendorSeven-day trial only; sold direct through Paddle or the Mac App Store
Mac, iPhone and iPad Markdown writer with direct blog publishing
Ranked #9 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Byword is built for the write-then-publish habit: type with shortcuts and word counters, then push the result straight to a blog or note service.
Documents follow you across Apple devices via iCloud or Dropbox, and files leave as HTML, PDF or rich text. The copyright line names Metaclassy, Lda. and reads 2023, while buying happens only in Apple stores, with no prices or trial on the site.
What stands out
Apple devices
iCloud and Dropbox
Blog publishing
Where it costs you
The page lists only Apple devices, so Windows and Linux users are left out.
No price and no trial are shown on the page that was read.
Right for
Bloggers on Apple devices who publish to Medium or WordPress from the editor
Wrong for
Teams working across Windows, Linux and Android devices
Not stated by the vendorSold through the Mac App Store and App Store; no trial mentioned
Collaborative Markdown editor with cloud sync and diagram rendering
Ranked #10 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
StackEdit mixes plain writing with technical blocks such as math, sequence diagrams, flowcharts and music notation. Two people typing at once get merged automatically, with inline comments on top, and files sync to three storage services.
Blogger, WordPress and Zendesk accept published output, and offline writing works. The footer cites an Apache licence and a 2013 to 2019 copyright for Benoit Schweblin, so recent activity is not visible there.
What stands out
Real-time merging
UML diagrams
Apache licence
Where it costs you
The copyright line ends at 2019, which leaves its maintenance status unclear.
No pricing or plan information appears on the page that was read.
Right for
People wanting synced notes with diagrams and light shared editing
Wrong for
Buyers who need a stated price or support plan
Not stated by the vendorNo plans or prices mentioned on the page read; Apache licence in the footer
Free no-signup Markdown editor with cloud sync and Vim keys
Ranked #11 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Dillinger is the low-commitment option: open it, write, and download Markdown, styled HTML or PDF with no signup. Monaco supplies optional Vim and Emacs bindings, and five services can store your work, from GitHub to Bitbucket.
Once loaded, it carries on without a connection. The page says the code is open source on GitHub, but it never names a licence or an owner.
What stands out
No signup
Monaco editor
Offline after load
Where it costs you
Drafts live in browser local storage, which a cleared cache can wipe.
The page names neither an owner nor a licence for the open-source project.
Right for
Anyone needing a quick, free editor with Vim keys and cloud storage links
Wrong for
Teams requiring accounts, history or shared editing today
Not stated by the vendorFree with no paywall or usage limits; no signup needed
Self-hosted collaborative Markdown notes with revision history and slides
Ranked #12 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Free tierSelf-hostablePublished pricingElsewhere
HedgeDoc is the only entry here that you operate yourself. Setup means a prepackaged bundle or Docker, and GitHub holds the AGPL 3.0 code.
Groups edit together live, roll back to earlier revisions, set simple permissions per note and present with reveal.js. You can try a demo first, which is useful because the bundle needs an administrator. The page gives no price, owner or country.
What stands out
AGPL 3.0
Self-hosted
reveal.js slides
Where it costs you
Someone must install and run the server, because the page describes no vendor-run service.
No organisation, owner or country is named on the page.
Right for
Teams with a server who want shared Markdown notes under their control
Wrong for
Non-technical groups without anyone to run a server
Not stated by the vendorFree AGPL 3.0 software that you host on your own server
Team Markdown workspace with multiple cursors, comments and slide mode
Ranked #13 of 13 in Best Markdown Editors in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
HackMD is aimed at groups: several cursors in one note, mentions in comments, history, templates and a GitHub link. Public notes, embeds and slide mode widen use beyond drafting.
To leave, you can export through the REST API or CLI. Cost is the gap: plans live on another page that was not reviewed, and the free offer has no stated limits on the landing page.
What stands out
Multiple cursors
Team workspaces
REST API and CLI
Where it costs you
The landing page shows no prices and does not describe what the free tier includes.
No owner or country appears beside the copyright notice.
Right for
Teams wanting shared notes with comments, mentions and slide mode in one place
Wrong for
Buyers who must see plan limits before signing up
Not stated by the vendorFree sign-up offered; plan prices sit on a separate page not reviewed
A Markdown editor is a writing app that turns lightly marked plain text into formatted documents, with live preview, export to PDF or Word, and sometimes shared work. Rather than compare features, settle the following points one after another.
01
Start with pricing transparency
The split is 7 published against 6 quoted. If you want to compare numbers first, start with Zettlr, Apostrophe, Ghostwriter, MacDown, Dillinger, HedgeDoc, HackMD.
02
Look at where the vendor sits
Look at the contracting entity: these 13 vendors sit in 1 countries, split by region as Elsewhere 13. The servers can be anywhere; the legal obligations follow the company.
03
Check the open source options
2 of these are open source: Zettlr, MacDown. Hosting one yourself trades a subscription for maintenance.
Markdown editors: decide where the file lives
Before comparing toolbars, settle who holds the files. Zettlr promises local files without forced sync or telemetry, and MarkText and Typora are desktop programs in the same spirit. Dillinger keeps drafts in browser local storage while linking GitHub, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Bitbucket, so a cleared cache matters unless you save to one of them.
HedgeDoc runs on your own server, which gives control but makes you the administrator. HackMD offers shared team workspaces, with notes retrievable as Markdown through a REST API or CLI. Pick the storage model first, because it decides who can read, back up and recover your writing, and whether a lost laptop or an emptied browser costs you a week of drafts. Write the answer down before you install anything.
Confirm whether files sit on disk, in browser storage or on a server
Test a backup and restore of one real document
Check that an API, CLI or plain file export exists
Which export formats a Markdown editor must produce
Writers rarely stop at Markdown. Typora can write bookmarked PDF, docx, LaTeX and Epub, while Apostrophe adds HTML slideshows and LibreOffice-friendly output. Zettlr and Ghostwriter route output through Pandoc, so templates for journals, conferences, Beamer, reveal.js and PowerPoint depend on that route. Dillinger exports Markdown, styled HTML or PDF, and Marked 2 adds Word and rich text for email.
Run your actual deliverable, with tables, footnotes and equations, through each candidate before choosing. MathJax or KaTeX support differs, and Ghostwriter sends equations through Pandoc, so a missing converter changes the result you get. Keep one finished sample file and compare the outputs side by side, because small layout differences show up only in print.
Export a document with a table, a footnote and an equation
Check which converter, such as Pandoc, each export needs
Open the exported Word or PDF file on another machine
Platform limits among Markdown editors
Operating system narrows the field faster than features. Byword is linked only to Apple's Mac App Store and App Store, and MacDown is built for macOS. Marked 2 needs macOS 10.12 or later and previews files saved from another editor, so it does not replace one. Apostrophe points to Flathub, which suits Linux desktops.
MarkText and Zettlr cover Linux, macOS and Windows, and Typora lists Windows 10 or 11 as the minimum there. iA Writer's page mentions iPhone and iPad versions and says nothing of other platforms. If a team mixes Mac and Windows laptops, a Mac-only tool forces a second editor and a second habit. Mobile drafting is its own question: only some vendors mention phone apps at all, so ask before assuming.
List every operating system your writers use
Confirm a mobile app exists if you draft on a phone
Check whether a preview-only tool still needs a separate editor
What a Markdown editor licence costs you
Price is hard to read in this market. Typora lists a licence fee, leaves recurrence unexplained, and offers a 15-day trial on up to 3 devices. iA Writer and Marked 2 advertise seven-day trials, while Byword's page shows no price or trial. MarkText and MacDown are MIT licensed, Ghostwriter is GPL-3.0 and HedgeDoc is AGPL 3.0, so cost shifts to your own time.
Zettlr is supported by donations. HackMD points to a separate pricing page. Ask for the renewal rule in writing, note how many devices a licence covers, and weigh a one-off fee against hours spent maintaining a self-run tool. A cheap licence that nobody renews on time can cost more than a pricier one with clear terms.
Ask whether the licence fee recurs or is paid once
Count the devices a single licence covers
Estimate hours to maintain any self-hosted or volunteer-run tool
What goes wrong most often when buying markdown editors software
Choosing a tool for its theme gallery, then discovering that your Word or LaTeX export breaks tables and footnotes.
Treating a preview companion such as Marked 2 as a writing app, and finding there is nothing to type into.
Assuming a GitHub project like MarkText has a support desk, when its README only says it is in development.
Pasting sensitive drafts into a free web editor without checking whether they stay in browser storage.
07
Frequently asked questions
8 answers
What is the best markdown editors in 2026?
Zettlr leads our ranking of 13. Zettlr carries the copyright of Hendrik Erz and names no company. It connects to Zotero, JabRef and Juris-M, supports over 9,000 citation styles and exports through Pandoc profiles.
Files stay on your computer. The catch is what the site leaves out: no named licence, no legal address, and no mention of shared editing.
Which markdown editors tools publish their pricing?
The ones that do, with the model each states:
Zettlr: Free and open source, supported by donations; no paid tiers shown.
Apostrophe: Free to install from Flathub; donations optional through PayPal.
Ghostwriter: GPL-3.0 licensed and free of charge; the page shows no price.
MacDown: Free to use and open source, MIT licensed; no price listed.
Dillinger: Free with no paywall or usage limits; no signup needed.
HedgeDoc: Free AGPL 3.0 software that you host on your own server.
HackMD: Free sign-up offered; plan prices sit on a separate page not reviewed.
6 vendors do not print a price.
Is there a free markdown editors tool?
Zettlr, Apostrophe, MacDown, Dillinger, HedgeDoc, HackMD can be used for free, either as a free plan or a self-hosted edition.
Where are these markdown editors vendors established?
In 1 countries across 1 regions: Elsewhere 13.
Zettlr: Not stated by the vendor.
Typora: Not stated by the vendor.
Apostrophe: Not stated by the vendor.
MarkText: Not stated by the vendor.
iA Writer: Not stated by the vendor.
Ghostwriter: Not stated by the vendor.
MacDown: Not stated by the vendor.
Marked 2: Not stated by the vendor.
Byword: Not stated by the vendor.
StackEdit: Not stated by the vendor.
Dillinger: Not stated by the vendor.
HedgeDoc: Not stated by the vendor.
HackMD: Not stated by the vendor.
Which markdown editors tools are open source?
Zettlr, MacDown.
Which markdown editors tools can you host yourself?
HedgeDoc. The remaining 12 run only on the vendor's servers.
What should you use instead of Zettlr?
Typora and Apostrophe are the next two on this page. Typora is for Solo writers who want the finished look while typing, with many export formats; Apostrophe is for Linux desktop users who want a quiet writing window with solid export.
Who should not buy Zettlr?
Teams wanting several people editing one note together. The open-source licence is never named on the page that was read..
Sell markdown editors and missing from the ranking? Send us a line on what the product does and who buys it. Whether it is added is our decision, though commercial arrangements can also affect it, and the terms of a listing sit on the software advice page.
