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Do you like using Markdown to create web pages or notes? It is a lightweight markup language that is very easy to understand. So it's easy to see why that's your preferred method. The question is, are you content with the Markdown editor you are using now? Or do you wish it has more features or power?
Suppose you want to change your Markdown editor. Here is the list that you need to read. Below are the two best Markdown editors for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Web.
What Is a Markdown File?
A Markdown file is like an HTML file. It is a file with text written using the Markdown markup language. Like HTML, a Markdown file is typically for webpage creation.
The best thing about Markdown is you don't need a specific program to edit them. You can use any text editor - even Notepad or TextEdit! So if you want to, you can save money.
However, if your work revolves around Markdown editing, you should use better Markdown editors. You will appreciate the convenience that they bring to the table.
Also, many good Markdown editors are open-source. So you may not need to spend money.
Top Markdown Editors on Different Platforms
So what tools should you be checking? First of all, it depends on what platform you are on. Some tools are available only on one platform or not available on just one platform. This makes the search more time-consuming.
Worry not. You don't have to research by yourself. We have prepared a special list consisting of the two best Markdown editors for each platform. This narrows down your options and enables you to quickly pick the perfect tool for you.
Without further ado, here are the best Markdown editors in the market.
Windows
Here are the best MD file editors on Windows.
iA Writer
Price: $29.99
G2 Rating: 4.8 stars - 33 reviews
User Review:
A Product Hunt user review says that iA Writer is "very intuitive and easy to use." The user loved how it allowed them to write without distractions.
- Code snippets
- Focus mode
- Real-time Rendering
- Syntax highlighting
- Style Checker
Pros
iA Editor is basic enough for beginners to understand but also complex/powerful enough for advanced users.
The code snippets, syntax highlighting, and style checker features help make writing Markdowns easier.
If you want to take Distraction mode to the next level, you can go to Focus Mode. It highlights only the line you are working on.
Cons
This is a paid tool with a free trial that lasts 14 days only.
Caret
Price: $29
G2 Rating: 5 Stars - 4 reviews
User Review:
One user wrote a review on Product Hunt. They said they were using Caret for their blog site. And they love its simplicity and distraction-free interface.
- HTML Preview and Markdown view
- Outline and File browser
- Keyboard shortcuts for jumping to headings
- Easy hyperlink-creation
- Special keyboard shortcuts
Pros
The special shortcut keys help make writing a lot easier once you have memorized them.
The Outline and File browser offers more convenience.
It lets you create hyperlinks like how you do in Google Docs and other writing apps.
Cons
Caret is a premium Markdown editor.
The program is still up. However, it stopped receiving updates long ago.
It does not have as many features as other premium Markdown editors.
Mac
Here are your best options for macOS.
MacDown
Price: Free
G2 Rating: 4.4 Stars - 12 reviews
User Review:
A reviewer on Slant said MacDown is a good tool for both day-to-day programmers and novices. They loved how it allows you to easily create the README.md files often attached to programs. Also, they called it the "TextEdit" for Markdowns.
- Markdown rendering
- Syntax highlighting
- Smart auto-completion
- GFM support
- Support for customization with CSS
- Linking between pages
Pros
The Markdown rendering is highly customizable since it supports CSS
The built-in auto-completion engine is very reliable
It is a free, open-source Markdown editor
Cons
Rendering in real-time slows the program down
It is not very versatile
Byword
Price: $10.99
GA Rating: 4.7 stars with 245 Ratings
User Review:
User Coriantumer wrote a review on the Mac App Store. They claimed to have tried other Markdown editors. And Byword was the one they settled on. They liked its simplicity.
- Different fonts and background colors
- Hotkeys
- Distraction-free mode
- Smart syntax auto-completion
- Export to different file formats
- Publish to Wordpress and other websites.
Pros
It offers so many customization options.
The ability to publish directly to Wordpress is great.
The syntax auto-completion feature and the hotkeys offer so much convenience.
Cons
Byword is a premium tool.
Some reports say that the auto-save function is unreliable.
Linux
Here are the best Markdown editors for Linux PCs.
Obsidian
Price: $50 per year
G2 Rating: 4.9 Stars - 420 reviews
User review:
A user wrote on Product Hunt, saying they have tried every note and writing program there is. They say that the best one is Obsidian because it is fast, easy to use, and hackable.
- Read Mode and Edit Mode
- Link documents together in a mind map
- Folder and document outline
- Panes
- Command palette
- Plugins
Pros
The graphic mode helps with visualization. It shows you the linked documents in a mind map.
If you wish to view multiple modes simultaneously, you can add more panels.
Obsidian can be free as long as you use it only on personal projects.
Cons
Novices should note that it is not very beginner-friendly.
If you wish to use Obsidian for commercial use, you have to pay $50 a year.
It is a little expensive.
VS Code
Price: Free
G2 Ratings: 4.7 stars with 2,044 reviews
User review:
A user review on G2 called Visual Studio Code the "Holy Grail of open-source IDEs." They praised its extensive library of plugins and its versatility as an IDE. They also noted that the strong support from the community makes this program even more amazing.
- Markdown snippets
- File and document hierarchy outline
- Path auto-completion
- Links to headers of a different file
- Link validation
- Smart selection
- Live preview
- Jump to headers using shortcuts
- Code
Pros
VS Code has a very supportive community. It makes many things possible.
It has the most amount of features among many open-source Markdown editors
Visual Studio Code also works as an IDE for other programming languages. It provides role consolidation.
Cons
VS Code is not that beginner-friendly
It is resource intensive
Some extensions may make VS Code crash
Web
What? You don't have enough storage space in your computer for another program? Don't worry. You can use online Markdown editors instead. Admittedly, they can be quite shaky. But if you use the best ones, there should not be many problems.
Here is the best one that you should check out.
StackEdit
Price: Free
G2 Rating: 4.9 starts with 4 reviews
User Review:
A user review on G2 says that the best feature of StackEdit is the inline comments. They also liked the good number of features it offers.
- Import Markdown and HTML files from your local files
- Export to different file formats
- Synchronization with the Cloud
- Cheat sheet
- Live Preview
- Tweakable File Properties
- Version History
Pros
The cheat sheet helps beginners get more familiar with Markdown
StackEdit is a free yet powerful tool
It is more feature-rich than other online Markdown editors
Cons
StackEdit does not have a no-distraction interface design
While it is mostly free, a few features are locked behind paywalls
Converting Markdown Files to PDFs Using Wondershare PDFelement
Do you need to convert your Markdown file to PDF format? If so, you should check out Wondershare PDFelement for Windows. As you may already know, PDFelement is one of the most reliable PDF solutions in the market. It offers an intuitive interface, a wide selection of features, and a competitive price.
Wondershare PDFelement has a built-in converter tool that lets you open other formats to directly turn them into PDFs. Here's how to do that:
- Open Wondershare PDFelement.
- Click Create PDF on the bottom menu.
- Select From File.
- Locate and open the Markdown file that you wish to turn into PDF.
- Wait for PDFelement to finish the conversion. Once done, it will automatically open the converted file.
- Save the PDF.
Conclusion
There are so many text editors you can use as a Markdown editor. Of course, choosing the best one is recommended. It allows you to write and organize your Markdown files more easily. As long as you stick with the tools mentioned above, you should be good.
Wondershare PDFelement is also a nice tool to have. It allows you to convert Markdown files to PDFs hassle-free. On top of that, you'll get a fantastic PDF tool with OCR, a signature function, and more. It is a resource that will help you a lot with document management.