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Head-to-head · Markdown Editors

HackMD vs Ghostwriter

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score HackMD #2 in Markdown Editors 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit HackMD
Ghostwriter #6 in Markdown Editors 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit KDE

HackMD leads on 0 checks, Ghostwriter on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreHackMD · 9.1/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresGhostwriter · 1 of 3

HackMD scores higher on our rubric for markdown editors: 9.1 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #6.

HackMD is the better fit for collaborative Markdown teams. Ghostwriter is the better fit for free desktop writers needing Markdown flexibility.

  • HackMD fits best

    Collaborative Markdown teams

  • Ghostwriter fits best

    Free desktop writers needing Markdown flexibility

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Side by side

Feature HackMD 9.1/10 Visit ↗ Ghostwriter 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 8.4
Ranking #2 in Markdown Editors #6 in Markdown Editors
Best for Collaborative Markdown teams Free desktop writers needing Markdown flexibility
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $5/seat/mo Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension Desktop
Platforms Web, Chrome extension Windows, Linux, macOS
Support Email, Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 8 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business
Features HackMD 0/3 · Ghostwriter 1/3
Real-time collaboration Not checked yet Not checked yet
Cloud sync Not checked yet Not checked yet
Local file support Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms Not checked yet Windows, Linux, macOS
Export formats Not checked yet HTML, Pandoc, MultiMarkdown, commonmark
Publishing workflow Not checked yet Not checked yet
Markdown flavor Not checked yet Github_flavored
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
  • Live preview, focus mode, fullscreen mode, and document navigation
  • Supports cmark-gfm, Pandoc, MultiMarkdown, Discount, and cmark
  • Free, open source, with autosave, backups, and image drag-and-drop
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
  • macOS support is community-supported and requires building from source
  • Desktop-only workflow with local files rather than a hosted workspace
  • Export and processor options depend on installed Markdown processors
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 →

Ghostwriter is a free, open-source Markdown editor developed by KDE for writers who want a focused desktop workspace. It works with local files on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and combines a distraction-free interface with live HTML preview,…

Read the review →
  1. HackMDMarkdown Editors 9.1Free plan
  2. GhostwriterMarkdown Editors 8.4Free plan

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

  • Ghostwriter — where it wins

    • Live preview, focus mode, fullscreen mode, and document navigation
    • Supports cmark-gfm, Pandoc, MultiMarkdown, Discount, and cmark
    • Free, open source, with autosave, backups, and image drag-and-drop

    Where it doesn't

    • macOS support is community-supported and requires building from source
    • Desktop-only workflow with local files rather than a hosted workspace
    • Export and processor options depend on installed Markdown processors
  • HackMD9.1/10 · Free plan

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

    Visit HackMDFull verdict →
  • Ghostwriter8.4/10 · Free plan

    A capable free Markdown editor for focused local writing across three desktop platforms.

    Visit KDEFull verdict →

More comparisons

All markdown editors comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update