Quick Verdict
Use Markdown when…
Use Markdown for documentation, README files, blog posts, notes, and technical writing. Markdown is faster to write, easier to read as source, and converts to clean HTML automatically via tools like Pandoc, Jekyll, and Hugo.
Use HTML when…
Use HTML when you need precise control over layout, custom elements, attributes, embedded media, or features Markdown doesn't support (complex tables, forms, custom CSS classes). HTML is necessary for final web delivery.
Markdown vs HTML: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Markdown | HTML |
|---|---|---|
| Readability as source | Excellent (designed to be readable) | Tags reduce readability |
| Writing speed | Faster (simpler syntax) | Slower (more verbose) |
| Browser rendering | No (needs conversion first) | Yes (native browser format) |
| Converts to HTML | Yes (Pandoc, markdown-it, etc.) | Is HTML |
| Complex layouts | Not supported natively | Full control |
| Images, links, code | Yes (core syntax) | Yes (full HTML tags) |
| Custom classes/attributes | Limited (some flavours support it) | Native |
| Version control | Excellent (plain text diffs) | Good (text diffs, but verbose) |
When Markdown wins
- ✓Readability as source: Excellent (designed to be readable)
- ✓Writing speed: Faster (simpler syntax)
- ✓Browser rendering: No (needs conversion first)
When HTML wins
- ✓Readability as source: Tags reduce readability
- ✓Writing speed: Slower (more verbose)
- ✓Browser rendering: Yes (native browser format)
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Markdown to HTML?
Pandoc: `pandoc input.md -o output.html --standalone`. Node.js: install marked or markdown-it and run `marked input.md > output.html`. Python: `import markdown; html = markdown.markdown(open('input.md').read())`. Most static site generators (Hugo, Jekyll, Eleventy) convert Markdown to HTML automatically during the build.
Can I use HTML inside Markdown?
Yes — most Markdown processors allow raw HTML within Markdown files. You can mix Markdown and HTML: write paragraphs in Markdown, then drop into HTML for complex elements like custom divs or tables. GitHub-flavoured Markdown and CommonMark both support inline HTML.
Which Markdown flavour should I use?
CommonMark is the standardised specification. GitHub-Flavoured Markdown (GFM) is the most widely used in software projects. For documentation sites, check what your static site generator supports — Hugo, Jekyll, and Docusaurus all have slightly different Markdown flavours but are mostly CommonMark-compatible.
More comparisons
View all format comparisons →