Many people now use Markdown as the alternative to HTML. The main reason is commonly because Markdown is simpler than HTML. Indeed, Markdown has a fewer formatting syntax which make it easier to learn.

There is one thing in common between Markdown and HTML. You need an editor that is designed specifically to handle the both formats to finish your documents easier. This article is going to show you the best Markdown editors for Windows.

Generally, a Markdown editor is not different to regular text editor you are used to be using like Notepad and other Notepad-like apps. The only different is that a Markdown editor usually has a splitted interface. One for typing your Markdown document and one for previewing what you are writing.

Back to our topic. If you are looking for a Markdown editor for Windows here are some options that you can choose.

1. Caret

If you have explored the web to look for a Markdown editor, you will find a fact that most Markdown editors are basically available for three major platforms Windows, Mac and Linux. Caret is one examples of that kind of app. Just like most Markdown editor app, Caret also comes with a splitted interface. You can write your document on the left side of the screen while on the right side you can instantly preview what you are writing.

Caret is a GitHub flavored Markdown editor with lots of useful features including auto-completion, syntax assistance and so on. The tool also features a number of useful shortcuts to make everything finish quicker. Unfortunately, you have to pay for $25 to use the tool.

2. Typora

Typora is the best choice if you are looking for a Markdown editor with minimum distraction. Unlike Caret and most similar apps, Typora use a different approach in helping you creating a Markdown document. It offers a full screen interface. When you add a certain Markdown syntax over your text you will instantly see the result you want.

In other word, Typora removes the preview window, mode switcher, syntax symbols of markdown source code, and all other unnecessary distractions and replace them with a real live preview feature to help you concentrate the content itself. Currently Typora is still in beta phase so you can use this tool for free but, soon you will charged to use this tool once the final version is released.

3. MarkdownD

Just like other similar apps, the main purpose of MarkdownD is to help any web writers ease their jobs. This app comes with a common interface of Markdown editors with an explorer on the left, showing all of the navigations, and an editor on the right, showing the content of the current files you have opened. MarkdownD allows you instantly convert the Markdown document you are writing to other formats like HTML or PDF. MarkdownD is paid app but you are given a trial period to give it a try before deciding to continue using it or not.

4. Ghostwriter

Ghostwriter uses the same approach as Typora in terms of interface. It helps you focus on what you are doing by removing all distractions. You can also switch to the full screen mode if you want to fully focused on your document. With this tool you can finish what you supposed to finish and format it later. There is a unique feature of Ghostwriter called Hemingway Mode. You can enable this feature by clicking the Hemingway button in the lower right corner of the editor. The feature will force you to keep writing no matter what happen, even when you have some typos. Hemingway Mode will disable your backspace and delete keys.

The most interesting part about Ghostwriter is that it’s free to download. The drag and drop feature also makes it easy to add images to your document. The tool also has a built-in converter to allow you convert your Markdown document into HTML.

5. MarkdownPad

MarkdownPad is designed exclusively for Windows. No other platforms are supported. This tool adopts the common interface of Markdown editors where users can see a splitted interface. The tabbed windows lets you to create multiple Markdown documents at once. While you type, LivePreview will automatically scroll to the current location you’re editing. MarkdownPad is also fully customizable so you can adjust the look of the editor to match your taste. While you can use this tool for free, paid version is also available to get more features.

6. SmartDown II

If you are a WordPress blogger and is looking for a third party app to write article, you can consider using SmartDown II. It is a Markdown editor for Windows that lets you turn your Markdown document into a WordPress post. Apart from it you can also turn the documents you have created into HTML or Epub.

The creator of SmartDown II has tried to minimize distractions to help you focus on your text. Fullscreen mode will keep you away from any distractions while highlight mode helps you focus on the paragraph or sentence you’re writing. SmartDown II is paid app but you can try it for free to probe how powerful the app is.

7. MarkUpDown

Another Markdown editor that is built exclusively for Windows platform. MarkUpDown is intended for professional Markdown editor. However, if you are new to Markdown you can also use this tool without meeting any serious problem since the tool comes with an easy to use interface. One of key features of MarkUpDown is the ability to upload and host images on imgur.com. Imgur itself is a free image hosting service usually used by bloggers.

By the way, MarkUpDown is a paid app. You can get this app from Microsoft Store. This app also allows you to export your Markdown documents into HTML easily.

8. Markdown Edit

As the name suggests, this app is used to edit and create Markdown document. The main emphasis of Markdown Edit are on content and keyboard shortcuts. Everything is created to help you focuses on what you are doing. Since the main purpose of Markdown Edit is to help you keep focused on your text so it’s designed with minimal distractions. You will see no tabbed windows, main menu, status bar and other elements considered as distraction.