Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Markdown Editors

HedgeDoc vs Ghostwriter

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score HedgeDoc #3 in Markdown Editors 8.9/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit HedgeDoc
Ghostwriter #6 in Markdown Editors 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit KDE

HedgeDoc 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 scoreHedgeDoc · 8.9/10
  • Free planonly Ghostwriter
  • Most featuresGhostwriter · 1 of 3

HedgeDoc scores higher on our rubric for markdown editors: 8.9 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #6.

HedgeDoc is the better fit for self-hosted collaborative Markdown teams. Ghostwriter is the better fit for free desktop writers needing Markdown flexibility.

  • HedgeDoc fits best

    Self-hosted collaborative Markdown teams

  • Ghostwriter fits best

    Free desktop writers needing Markdown flexibility

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature HedgeDoc 8.9/10 Visit ↗ Ghostwriter 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.4
Ranking #3 in Markdown Editors #6 in Markdown Editors
Best for Self-hosted collaborative Markdown teams Free desktop writers needing Markdown flexibility
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Free plan
Free plan Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted, Cloud Desktop
Platforms Web Windows, Linux, macOS
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 4 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business
Features HedgeDoc 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 Markdown collaboration with permissions and note revisions
  • Presentation mode, diagrams, graphs, and embedded content in one workspace
  • Docker deployment plus LDAP, SAML, OAuth2, and GitHub authentication
  • 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
  • Self-hosting puts deployment and infrastructure responsibility on the team
  • Access is centered on the web rather than native applications
  • Teams seeking a conventional paid SaaS model may prefer another editor
  • 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

HedgeDoc is an open-source, web-based Markdown editor designed for teams and other groups that need to create and edit notes together in real time. Its self-hosted model lets organizations deploy the application on their own server using…

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. HedgeDocMarkdown Editors 8.9Open source
  2. GhostwriterMarkdown Editors 8.4Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • HedgeDoc — where it wins

    • Real-time Markdown collaboration with permissions and note revisions
    • Presentation mode, diagrams, graphs, and embedded content in one workspace
    • Docker deployment plus LDAP, SAML, OAuth2, and GitHub authentication

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosting puts deployment and infrastructure responsibility on the team
    • Access is centered on the web rather than native applications
    • Teams seeking a conventional paid SaaS model may prefer another editor

  • 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
  • HedgeDoc8.9/10 · Open source

    A self-hosted Markdown workspace for teams that need live collaboration and control.

    Visit HedgeDocFull 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