I write in markdown constantly. Feature specs, blog posts, documentation, notes — it all ends up as markdown. But I don’t want to stare at raw **bold** and [links](url) all day. I want to see actual bold text and clickable links while I type, and get clean markdown out the other end.
That’s what a markdown WYSIWYG editor does. You write visually, it stores markdown. Best of both worlds — unless the editor is bad, in which case you get the worst of both worlds: janky formatting and broken markdown output.
I’ve used a lot of these. Here’s what actually works in 2026.
What makes a good markdown WYSIWYG editor
Before the list, here’s what I look for. Not every editor needs all of these, but the good ones nail at least three or four:
- Real WYSIWYG — headings look like headings, bold looks bold, tables render as tables. Not a side-by-side preview — actual inline rendering.
- Clean markdown output — when you export or copy, you get standard markdown. No proprietary formatting, no weird artifacts.
- Speed — it should feel instant. If there’s lag between typing and rendering, I’m out.
- Tables — the #1 thing that separates a markdown editor from a text area. If I can’t create and edit tables visually, I’ll go somewhere else.
- Low friction — ideally I open it and start typing. No 10-step onboarding, no mandatory account creation.
The editors
MD Edit
Free, browser-based, no signup required. md-edit.com
This is the one I built, so take that into account. But I built it specifically because nothing else did what I needed: a fast markdown WYSIWYG editor in the browser that doesn’t require an account, keeps my documents private by default, and works with AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT.
You open the site and start typing. That’s it. No signup wall, no “choose a workspace” step. It renders markdown visually — headings, bold, italics, code blocks, tables, checklists, all inline. You can toggle to raw markdown view anytime if you want to see exactly what’s underneath.
Documents are stored locally in your browser by default. Nothing leaves your device unless you turn on cloud sync (Supabase or Google Drive). There’s also an MCP connector so Claude can read and write your documents directly — useful if you do a lot of AI-assisted writing. It is magical to ask Claude to “Update Doc XZY in MD-Edit” then see ui instantly update in the MD-Edit.com WYSIWYG viewer.” I have been using it for months, and it still feels really neat.
One thing worth mentioning: early users who sign up right now get Founding User status — full Pro features (cloud sync, version history, unlimited folders, AI read+write access) free, forever. It’s not a trial. Once you’re a founding user, you keep everything permanently, even after paid plans launch. I’m doing this because the product is new and the first people who show up and use it are the ones who’ll shape what it becomes.
Best for: People who want a free markdown editor online that just works immediately. Especially good if you work with AI tools and want your documents accessible to Claude. You can read them clearly on MD-Edit.com, and Claude can read and write to them, create new ones, share them with people, and more.
Typora
Paid ($14.99 one-time), desktop app. Mac, Windows, Linux.
Typora was one of the first editors to do markdown WYSIWYG really well, and it’s still one of the best desktop options. You type markdown and it renders inline immediately — no split pane, no preview panel. The experience is smooth and the app is fast.
The theme system is nice. You can make it look however you want with CSS. File management is basic — you point it at a folder and it shows you the files. It handles images well, with configurable upload/copy behavior.
Best for: People who want a polished desktop markdown editor and don’t mind paying once. Great for long-form writing.
Limitations: No browser version, no cloud sync built in (you’d use Dropbox/iCloud/etc.), no collaboration. The $14.99 price is fair but it did ruffle feathers when it went from free beta to paid.
Advantages of MD Edit: MD Edit gives you the same inline WYSIWYG experience but runs in any browser — no install, no $15, works on your phone and your desktop. Cloud sync is built in, and early users get it free forever as founding users.
Obsidian
Free for personal use, desktop + mobile. Paid for sync ($4/mo) and publish ($8/mo).
Obsidian is more of a knowledge management tool than a pure markdown editor, but its editing experience has gotten genuinely good. The “Live Preview” mode is a real WYSIWYG markdown editing experience — not as clean as Typora’s, but solid. The power is in the linking, graph view, and plugin ecosystem.
Best for: Power users who want a linked knowledge base with markdown at the core. The community and plugin ecosystem is massive.
Limitations: Steep learning curve, can feel heavy for simple tasks. The WYSIWYG mode is good but not the primary focus — it still feels like a plain-text editor at heart. Sync costs extra.
Advantages of MD Edit: MD Edit works on mobile and via MCP. You can tell Claude on iOS to write a new doc on MD Edit, then come home to your PC and read it on md-edit.com on your big screen, or have Claude Desktop, Claude Cowork, or Claude Code read that document to implement your idea.
StackEdit
Free, browser-based. stackedit.io
StackEdit has been around forever and it’s a solid free markdown editor online. It uses a split-pane approach — you write markdown on the left, see the preview on the right. Not true WYSIWYG, but the preview is good and updates in real-time.
It syncs with Google Drive, Dropbox, and GitHub, which is genuinely useful. The editor supports LaTeX math, UML diagrams, and other extensions that most editors skip. If you write technical documentation with equations, StackEdit handles that well.
Best for: Technical writers who need math/diagram support and want something free in the browser. The Google Drive sync is handy.
Limitations: Not true WYSIWYG — it’s a split-pane editor. The interface hasn’t been updated in a while and feels dated. Can be slow with very large documents.
Advantages of MD Edit: MD Edit is true WYSIWYG — no split pane, no preview panel. It also syncs with Google Drive natively, plus you get AI integration via MCP that StackEdit doesn’t have.
HackMD / CodiMD
Free tier available, browser-based. hackmd.io
HackMD is the collaborative option. Think Google Docs but for markdown. Multiple people can edit the same document in real-time, with a split-pane markdown editor. The collaboration works well — cursor positions, live updates, the whole thing.
The editing experience is split-pane (markdown left, preview right), with a “book mode” that’s closer to WYSIWYG. It’s geared toward teams — there are workspaces, permissions, and publishing features. If you need real-time markdown collaboration, this is probably your best option.
Best for: Teams that need to collaborate on markdown documents in real-time. Good for meeting notes, shared docs, runbooks.
Limitations: Not a true WYSIWYG experience. The free tier is limited. It’s a SaaS product, so your documents live on their servers.
Advantages of MD Edit: MD Edit is private by default — documents stay in your browser unless you choose to sync. It’s true WYSIWYG instead of split-pane, and the MCP connector means Claude can read and write your docs across conversations, not just inside one shared editing session.
Mark Text
Free and open source, desktop app. Mac, Windows, Linux.
Mark Text is the open-source alternative to Typora. It does real WYSIWYG markdown editing — inline rendering, no split pane — and it’s completely free. The experience is surprisingly good for an open-source project. It handles most markdown features well, including tables, math, and diagrams.
Development has slowed down significantly though. The last major release was a while ago, and there are open issues piling up. It works, but I’d be cautious about depending on it for critical workflows.
Best for: People who want Typora-style WYSIWYG but free and open source.
Limitations: Development has stalled. Some rough edges — occasional rendering glitches, limited plugin/extension support. No mobile or web version.
Advantages of MD Edit: MD Edit is actively developed and works everywhere — phone, tablet, desktop, any browser. No install needed, and you get cloud sync and AI integration that Mark Text will likely never have.
Zettlr
Free and open source, desktop app. Mac, Windows, Linux.
Zettlr is aimed at academics and researchers. It supports citations (BibTeX), footnotes, and can export to PDF, DOCX, and other formats via Pandoc. The editor has a WYSIWYG-ish mode that renders some markdown inline, though it’s not as complete as Typora or Mark Text.
If you’re writing academic papers in markdown and need citation management, Zettlr is purpose-built for that. For general markdown editing, it’s heavier than you need.
Best for: Academics who write papers in markdown and need citation/bibliography support.
Limitations: Niche use case. The WYSIWYG mode is partial — some elements render inline, others don’t. Heavier than necessary for non-academic writing.
Advantages of MD Edit: If you don’t need citations, MD Edit gives you full WYSIWYG without the academic overhead. It’s lighter, faster, and runs in a browser tab instead of a desktop app.
The markdown editor that works with your AI
Most of these editors were built before AI changed how we write. They’re fine tools for typing markdown by hand — but that’s not how most people work anymore. You’re pasting output from Claude, iterating on specs with ChatGPT, drafting docs on your phone with Claude iOS and picking them up on your desktop.
MD Edit was built for that workflow. True WYSIWYG, runs anywhere with a browser, syncs across devices, and connects directly to Claude so your AI can read and write your documents without copy-paste. Early users get full Pro features as founding users — free, forever.