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Markdown vs HTML

Comparing Markdown and HyperText Markup Language - which format should you use?

	Markdown	HTML
Full Name	Markdown	HyperText Markup Language
Extension	.md	.html
MIME Type	text/markdown	text/html
Category	data	data

Markdown Pros

+Simple, intuitive syntax
+Readable as plain text
+Converts to HTML easily
+Used everywhere: GitHub, Reddit, Notion, Obsidian

Markdown Cons

-No standard for extended features (tables, footnotes)
-Limited styling control
-Different flavors (CommonMark, GFM, MDX)
-No embedded media (just links)

HTML Pros

+Foundation of the web - universally supported
+Human-readable
+Works offline in any browser
+No compilation needed

HTML Cons

-Not a programming language (no logic)
-Needs CSS for styling and JS for interactivity
-Can become complex for large pages
-Accessibility requires careful implementation

Use Markdown when...

-GitHub README files
-Technical documentation
-Blog posts and articles
-Note-taking (Obsidian, Notion)
-Comments on Reddit, Stack Overflow

Use HTML when...

-Web pages and websites
-Email templates
-Documentation
-Static content

Learn more about Markdown Learn more about HTML