Best Markdown Editor for Windows in 2026: 7 Options Compared
Seven ways to write Markdown on Windows, from apps you install to editors that run in a browser tab. Prices and details are from each app's own site, checked October 27, 2026.
At a glance
| Editor | Price | How it shows Markdown | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Free | Formatted as you type, or source | Linked notes |
| Typora | $14.99, 15-day trial | Formatted as you type | Long-form writing |
| VS Code | Free | Source, with a preview tab | Markdown beside code |
| Zettlr | Free, open source | Source with formatting hints | Academic writing |
| MarkText | Free, open source | Formatted as you type | A simple Typora-style editor |
| Notepad, Windows 11 | Built in | Basic formatting | A quick look |
| TypeFire online editor | Free, in the browser | Formatted as you type | No install, any computer |
1. Obsidian
Price: Free, for personal and work use. Sync is optional at $4 a month billed annually.
Obsidian opens a folder of .md files as a vault, with links between notes, backlinks, a graph and a large plugin library. It edits in a live preview that formats as you type, or in source mode. The commercial license is optional, so it's free at work too.
Good for: a knowledge base you'll keep for years.
2. Typora
Price: $14.99 after a 15-day trial, for up to three devices.
Typora hides the Markdown symbols as you type, so the document looks finished while you write it. It exports to PDF and other formats, and runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS and Linux.
Good for: writing long documents in a clean window.
3. VS Code
Price: Free.
If you already write code in VS Code, its Markdown support is built in: open a .md file and press Ctrl+Shift+V for a preview, or Ctrl+K then V for a preview beside the source. Extensions add more, from linting to PDF export.
Good for: READMEs and docs that live next to code.
4. Zettlr
Price: Free and open source.
Zettlr is built for long, structured writing: citations, a reference manager connection and export through Pandoc. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Good for: academic and research writing.
5. MarkText
Price: Free and open source.
MarkText formats Markdown as you type in a clean, Typora-like window, with GitHub Flavored Markdown, tables and code blocks.
Good for: a free editor that hides the symbols.
6. Notepad on Windows 11
Price: Built in.
Windows 11's Notepad now formats basic Markdown: headings, bold, lists, links and simple tables. On Windows 10 it shows the raw symbols.
Good for: a quick look at a .md file with nothing installed.
7. TypeFire's free online editor
Price: Free, no sign-up.
The free online Markdown editor runs in your browser on Windows, ChromeOS, Linux or a Mac. Drop in a .md file or start writing: formatting shows as you type, tables have drag handles, files open as tabs, and File > Download saves Markdown, Word, a web page or a PDF. Nothing is uploaded. Want the same editor on a folder of notes? TypeFire for Chrome opens your Markdown folder in its own tab, in Chrome, Edge and Brave.
Good for: editing anywhere without installing anything.
How to choose
- Notes that link together: Obsidian.
- Polished long documents: Typora.
- Docs next to code: VS Code.
- Research with citations: Zettlr.
- A free Typora-style editor: MarkText.
- A quick look: Notepad, or the Markdown viewer for Windows.
- No install, any computer: the online editor.
On a Mac? See the best Markdown editors for Mac.
Seven ways to write Markdown on Windows, from apps you install to editors that run in a browser tab. Prices and details are from each app's own site, checked October 27, 2026.
At a glance
| Editor | Price | How it shows Markdown | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Free | Formatted as you type, or source | Linked notes |
| Typora | $14.99, 15-day trial | Formatted as you type | Long-form writing |
| VS Code | Free | Source, with a preview tab | Markdown beside code |
| Zettlr | Free, open source | Source with formatting hints | Academic writing |
| MarkText | Free, open source | Formatted as you type | A simple Typora-style editor |
| Notepad, Windows 11 | Built in | Basic formatting | A quick look |
| TypeFire online editor | Free, in the browser | Formatted as you type | No install, any computer |
1. Obsidian
Price: Free, for personal and work use. Sync is optional at $4 a month billed annually.
Obsidian opens a folder of .md files as a vault, with links between notes, backlinks, a graph and a large plugin library. It edits in a live preview that formats as you type, or in source mode. The commercial license is optional, so it's free at work too.
Good for: a knowledge base you'll keep for years.
2. Typora
Price: $14.99 after a 15-day trial, for up to three devices.
Typora hides the Markdown symbols as you type, so the document looks finished while you write it. It exports to PDF and other formats, and runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS and Linux.
Good for: writing long documents in a clean window.
3. VS Code
Price: Free.
If you already write code in VS Code, its Markdown support is built in: open a .md file and press Ctrl+Shift+V for a preview, or Ctrl+K then V for a preview beside the source. Extensions add more, from linting to PDF export.
Good for: READMEs and docs that live next to code.
4. Zettlr
Price: Free and open source.
Zettlr is built for long, structured writing: citations, a reference manager connection and export through Pandoc. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Good for: academic and research writing.
5. MarkText
Price: Free and open source.
MarkText formats Markdown as you type in a clean, Typora-like window, with GitHub Flavored Markdown, tables and code blocks.
Good for: a free editor that hides the symbols.
6. Notepad on Windows 11
Price: Built in.
Windows 11's Notepad now formats basic Markdown: headings, bold, lists, links and simple tables. On Windows 10 it shows the raw symbols.
Good for: a quick look at a .md file with nothing installed.
7. TypeFire's free online editor
Price: Free, no sign-up.
The free online Markdown editor runs in your browser on Windows, ChromeOS, Linux or a Mac. Drop in a .md file or start writing: formatting shows as you type, tables have drag handles, files open as tabs, and File > Download saves Markdown, Word, a web page or a PDF. Nothing is uploaded. Want the same editor on a folder of notes? TypeFire for Chrome opens your Markdown folder in its own tab, in Chrome, Edge and Brave.
Good for: editing anywhere without installing anything.
How to choose
- Notes that link together: Obsidian.
- Polished long documents: Typora.
- Docs next to code: VS Code.
- Research with citations: Zettlr.
- A free Typora-style editor: MarkText.
- A quick look: Notepad, or the Markdown viewer for Windows.
- No install, any computer: the online editor.
On a Mac? See the best Markdown editors for Mac.
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