Compared · checked 2026-10-24

The best free Markdown editors

Markdown is plain text with a few marks for headings, lists and links. Any editor can write it, but a good one previews it, keeps your notes organised and exports them. Here are six well-known ones, free and paid, in the browser and on the desktop.

We make Notes, one of the tools on this page. Every fact about the other tools comes from their own pages, linked under each one, as they read on 2026-10-24. Prices and features change: check each site before you choose.

How we compared them

• Free to use for everything, or what it costs
• Where your notes are kept: your device, the browser or a cloud
• Writing: live preview, tables, tasks, maths and diagrams
• Getting notes out: export, sync and opening existing .md files

At a glance

1. Notes (ours)

Best for: Notebooks of Markdown notes in the browser, with folders, tags and search, and no account or install.

Good

• Notebooks, nested folders, tags, pinned notes and search across every note
• Write, split or preview, updated as you type
• Blocks for tables, checklists, callouts, code, images and video links; paste an HTML table to get a Markdown table
• Export a note as .md, .html, .txt, Word-compatible .doc or PDF (print), or a whole notebook as a ZIP
• Nothing is uploaded, and no account
• Works on your phone, tablet and computer in the browser, even offline

Not so good

• Cannot open existing .md files from your computer yet: notes are made in the app
• No maths, diagrams, links between notes or nested lists
• Notes live in this browser’s storage, with no sync to other devices
• PDF is the browser’s print dialog
• Still being built

Open Notes

2. Obsidian

Best for: A free, private knowledge base on your own computer and phone, with linked notes and thousands of plugins.

Good

• Free for personal, commercial and non-profit use, with no limits
• Notes are plain Markdown files on your device, and work offline
• Links between notes, tags and thousands of community plugins and themes
• Apps for every desktop and phone

Not so good

• An app to install, not a web page
• Syncing between devices with Obsidian Sync is paid ($4 a user a month yearly, $5 monthly)

Obsidian website · Sources: Obsidian home, Obsidian pricing, Obsidian license overview, Obsidian download

3. Dillinger

Best for: Writing READMEs and docs in the browser with a VS Code-style editor, then saving to GitHub, Dropbox or Google Drive.

Good

• Free and open source (MIT), no sign-up
• Monaco editor with Vim and Emacs keys, side-by-side live preview with synced scrolling
• Drag in .md files; export Markdown, styled HTML or PDF
• Its page says it keeps working offline once loaded

Not so good

• Drafts live in the browser’s local storage unless you connect a cloud account
• One document editor, not a notebook with folders and tags

Dillinger website · Sources: Dillinger home and FAQ, Dillinger on GitHub (README)

4. StackEdit

Best for: Writers who publish to blogs and want maths, diagrams and comments in a browser editor synced to Google Drive or GitHub.

Good

• Live preview with scroll sync and formatting buttons
• Markdown Extra, GFM and CommonMark; LaTeX maths, UML diagrams, ABC music scores
• Sync with Google Drive, Dropbox and GitHub; publish to Blogger, WordPress and Zendesk
• Write offline; inline comments and shared workspaces

Not so good

• Its page does not say what it costs, whether you need an account or where notes are kept
• Its page lists no PDF export

StackEdit website · Sources: StackEdit home, StackEdit on GitHub

5. Joplin

Best for: An open-source notes app on every device, with end-to-end encrypted sync and a web clipper.

Good

• Open source, notes in an open format
• Rich Text or Markdown editor, maths and diagrams, images, PDFs and audio in notes
• Sync with end-to-end encryption; web clipper for Chrome and Firefox
• Plugins and themes

Not so good

• An app to install; the Joplin Web App is part of the paid Joplin Cloud plans
• Its home page does not say what the app costs

Joplin website · Sources: Joplin home, Joplin Cloud plans

6. Typora

Best for: A polished, distraction-free desktop editor where the preview is the editor, for people happy to pay once.

Good

• Seamless live preview: the Markdown marks disappear as you type
• Tables, maths (MathJax), diagrams, task lists and code highlighting for about 100 languages
• Export PDF with bookmarks, and docx, OpenOffice, LaTeX, MediaWiki, Epub and more
• One-time purchase, no subscription

Not so good

• Not free: a 15-day trial, then $14.99
• A desktop app, not a web page

Typora website · Sources: Typora home and features, Typora store and purchase FAQ

Which one to choose

Notes is our pick for keeping many Markdown notes organised with no account and nothing uploaded: notebooks, nested folders, tags, pinned notes and search, a split or live preview, and export as .md, HTML, Word-compatible .doc, PDF or a whole notebook as a ZIP. It installs from the browser and works offline. It cannot open your existing .md files yet, has no maths, diagrams or links between notes, and does not sync between devices.

Choose Obsidian if you want notes as Markdown files on your own computer and phone, links between notes and thousands of plugins: it is free for every use, but it is an app to install and sync is paid. Choose Dillinger for a single document in the browser that opens .md files and exports PDF.

Choose StackEdit for maths, diagrams and blog publishing, Joplin for encrypted sync across phones and computers, or Typora for the most polished writing experience here, though it is the one paid tool: $14.99 after a 15-day trial.

Questions

What is the best free Markdown editor?

We recommend Notes for notebooks of notes with folders, tags and search, no sign-up and nothing uploaded; it runs in the browser and installs from it. For notes as files in a desktop app, Obsidian is free for any use. For a single document in the browser, Dillinger.

Is Typora free?

No. Typora’s store page says it costs $14.99 (without tax) as a one-time purchase after a 15-day free trial, and a license works on up to 3 devices.

Which Markdown editors work in the browser?

Dillinger, StackEdit and Notes run in the browser with nothing to install. Joplin has a web app as part of its paid Joplin Cloud plans. Obsidian and Typora are apps.

Can I export Markdown to PDF for free?

Dillinger exports PDF directly. Notes opens the print view, where the browser’s Save as PDF makes the file. Typora also exports PDF, after its trial as a paid app.

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