HackMD vs Dillinger

HackMD9.1Visit Dillinger8.7Visit

Higher score HackMD #2 in Markdown Editors 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit HackMD

vs

Dillinger #4 in Markdown Editors 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Dillinger

• HackMD fits best

  Collaborative Markdown teams

• Dillinger fits best

  Free browser-based editing with cloud files

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Side by side

Feature	HackMD 9.1/10 Visit ↗	Dillinger 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.7
Ranking	#2 in Markdown Editors	#4 in Markdown Editors
Best for	Collaborative Markdown teams	Free browser-based editing with cloud files
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	$5/seat/mo	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Chrome extension	Web
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Docs
Integrations	8 integrations	5 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features HackMD 0/3 · Dillinger 2/3
Real-time collaboration	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Cloud sync	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Local file support	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	web
Export formats	Not checked yet	Markdown, HTML, PDF
Publishing workflow	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Markdown flavor	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Real-time editing with comments, mentions, and multiple cursors GitHub synchronization plus Dropbox, Google Drive, and Arweave transfers API, CLI, MCP, browser extensions, publishing, and version recovery	Monaco editor with syntax highlighting, cursors, search, and autocompletion Live side-by-side preview with synchronized scrolling Cloud connections plus Markdown, HTML, and PDF export
Cons	Free plan supports up to 3 teammates and 3 invitees Free version history is limited to the recent 10 versions Native app coverage is centered on the web experience	Available as a web application rather than a desktop editor Offline core editing starts only after the initial load Export options are limited to Markdown, styled HTML, and PDF
Our verdict	HackMD is a web-based collaborative Markdown workspace for teams, developers, researchers, communities, and open-source projects. It supports simultaneous editing with multiple cursors, comments, mentions, templates, shared workspaces,… Read the review →	Dillinger is a free, open-source Markdown editor that runs in the browser. It is aimed at developers, technical writers, and other users creating README files, documentation, blog posts, or structured prompts. Core editing requires no… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• HackMD — where it wins

  • Real-time editing with comments, mentions, and multiple cursors
  • GitHub synchronization plus Dropbox, Google Drive, and Arweave transfers
  • API, CLI, MCP, browser extensions, publishing, and version recovery

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan supports up to 3 teammates and 3 invitees
  • Free version history is limited to the recent 10 versions
  • Native app coverage is centered on the web experience

• Dillinger — where it wins

  • Monaco editor with syntax highlighting, cursors, search, and autocompletion
  • Live side-by-side preview with synchronized scrolling
  • Cloud connections plus Markdown, HTML, and PDF export

  Where it doesn't

  • Available as a web application rather than a desktop editor
  • Offline core editing starts only after the initial load
  • Export options are limited to Markdown, styled HTML, and PDF

• HackMD9.1/10 · Free plan

  A capable collaborative Markdown workspace with strong GitHub and publishing workflows.

  Visit HackMDFull verdict →
• Dillinger8.7/10 · Free plan

  A flexible free editor for Markdown work across local files and cloud storage.

  Visit DillingerFull verdict →