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Head-to-head · Markdown Editors

StackEdit vs MarkText

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score StackEdit #1 in Markdown Editors 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit StackEdit
MarkText #5 in Markdown Editors 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit MarkText

StackEdit leads on 0 checks, MarkText on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreStackEdit · 9.2/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresStackEdit · 3 of 3

StackEdit scores higher on our rubric for markdown editors: 9.2 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #5.

On publishing workflow, StackEdit gives you Cms where MarkText offers None.

StackEdit is the better fit for free web editing and publishing. MarkText is the better fit for free cross-platform Markdown writing.

  • StackEdit fits best

    Free web editing and publishing

  • MarkText fits best

    Free cross-platform Markdown writing

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 StackEdit 9.2/10 Visit ↗ MarkText 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.5
Ranking #1 in Markdown Editors #5 in Markdown Editors
Best for Free web editing and publishing Free cross-platform Markdown writing
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension Desktop
Platforms Web, Chrome extension Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features StackEdit 3/3 · MarkText 1/3
Real-time collaboration ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Cloud sync ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Local file support ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms web, chrome_extension, self_hosted windows, macos, linux
Export formats Markdown, HTML, PDF HTML, PDF
Publishing workflow Cms None
Markdown flavor Custom Custom
Our review
Pros
  • Free, open-source editing across web, Chrome extension, and self-hosted deployments
  • Syncs with Google Drive, Dropbox, and GitHub, with offline writing
  • Publishes to Blogger, WordPress, and Zendesk and exports Markdown, HTML, and PDF
  • Realtime WYSIWYG and source-code editing modes
  • CommonMark, GFM, math, tables, and diagrams
  • Free, open source, and available on three desktop platforms
Cons
  • Its custom Markdown flavor may require adaptation across other Markdown tools
  • Publishing targets focus on Blogger, WordPress, and Zendesk
  • The extension experience is centered on Chrome
  • No built-in publishing workflow
  • Desktop, local-file workflow rather than cloud collaboration
  • HTML and PDF are the listed export formats
Our verdict

StackEdit is a browser-based Markdown editor for individuals and teams that need to write, format, review, synchronize, and publish documents. Its interface combines Markdown syntax highlighting, WYSIWYG formatting controls, live preview,…

Read the review →

MarkText is a free, open-source desktop Markdown editor for writers, developers, and documentation teams who prefer working with local files. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, combining realtime WYSIWYG rendering with a source-code…

Read the review →
  1. StackEditMarkdown Editors 9.2Free plan
  2. MarkTextMarkdown Editors 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • StackEdit — where it wins

    • Free, open-source editing across web, Chrome extension, and self-hosted deployments
    • Syncs with Google Drive, Dropbox, and GitHub, with offline writing
    • Publishes to Blogger, WordPress, and Zendesk and exports Markdown, HTML, and PDF

    Where it doesn't

    • Its custom Markdown flavor may require adaptation across other Markdown tools
    • Publishing targets focus on Blogger, WordPress, and Zendesk
    • The extension experience is centered on Chrome

  • MarkText — where it wins

    • Realtime WYSIWYG and source-code editing modes
    • CommonMark, GFM, math, tables, and diagrams
    • Free, open source, and available on three desktop platforms

    Where it doesn't

    • No built-in publishing workflow
    • Desktop, local-file workflow rather than cloud collaboration
    • HTML and PDF are the listed export formats

More comparisons

All markdown editors comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update