What is an MD file?
MD stands for Markdown. It was created by John Gruber and first released in 2004. Markdown marks formatting with plain characters: # for headings, * for lists and emphasis. It reads naturally as text and converts cleanly to HTML, which is why developers and note apps use it.
| Type | document |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | shows as plain text in browsers; editors such as Obsidian, Typora and VS Code render it |
| Common uses | documentation, README files, notes and blogging tools |
| MIME type | text/markdown |
Which format should you convert MD to?
- MD to TXT to get just the words, for copying, searching or pasting elsewhere.
- MD to HTML to read it in any browser with headings and links kept.
- MD to PDF for a fixed page to print or share.
How to open an MD file
Whether an MD file opens with a double click depends on the device. Here is what works on each, without buying software:
| Windows | Word or the free LibreOffice opens DOCX; any browser opens HTML; Notepad opens TXT and MD. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Pages or TextEdit open DOCX; Safari opens HTML; TextEdit opens TXT and MD. Apple Books opens EPUB. |
| iPhone and iPad | Pages, Word and the Files app open DOCX; Apple Books opens EPUB. |
| Android | Google Docs and Word open DOCX; Google Play Books opens EPUB. |
| Web browser | MD shows as plain text in browsers; editors such as Obsidian, Typora and VS Code render it. |
Want the technical details? See what a .md file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
MD compared with other document formats
How MD stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD | Lossless | plain text with simple symbols for headings, lists, links and emphasis | 2004 | documentation, README files, notes and blogging tools |
| DOCX | Lossless | formatted text, images, tables and styles in a ZIP of XML files | 2007 | letters, reports, CVs and most documents shared at work |
| TXT | Lossless | characters only, with no formatting | 1963 | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere |
| HTML | Lossless | text with tags for headings, lists, links, tables and images | 1993 | web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser |
| EPUB | Lossless | chapters as XHTML pages, with images and a table of contents | 2007 | e-books from stores other than Amazon and free e-book libraries |
How to use the MD converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your MD files on the box, or press Choose MD files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. Converting to DOCX, JPG, ODT, PNG, RST, RTF uses our server, which deletes the file right after; the rest never leave your device.
Tips for converting MD files without losing anything
Converting an MD file keeps the words exactly; what can change is formatting and layout, depending on what the target format can hold.
- Keep the original document; exporting to plain text or HTML drops layout that cannot be added back.
- Use HTML or Markdown when you want to keep headings, lists and links, and TXT when you only need the words.
- For scanned documents, OCR is the only way to get text; converting the file format alone will not find words in an image.
- Save text as UTF-8 so every language is preserved.
- Check headings after converting to HTML or Markdown; they come from the styles used in the original, so manual bold text stays plain text.
- Plain text has no pages, so page numbers and headers from the original document are dropped.
- For long documents, convert once and search the text output rather than scrolling the original.
- Markdown and HTML both keep links, so check that relative links still point somewhere once the document moves.
Convert MD files from the command line
pandoc does the same on your own computer:
pandoc input.md -o output.docxConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
MD converter FAQ
What is an MD file?
MD stands for Markdown, a document format created by John Gruber in 2004. Markdown marks formatting with plain characters: # for headings, * for lists and emphasis. It reads naturally as text and converts cleanly to HTML, which is why developers and note apps use it.
How do I open an MD file?
MD shows as plain text in browsers; editors such as Obsidian, Typora and VS Code render it. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common MD conversion?
MD to DOCX is the conversion people search for most. The Markdown is read by pandoc, the open-source document converter, on our conversion server: headings, lists, tables, links, emphasis, code blocks, quotes and footnotes, and written as a Word document that uses Word's own styles, Heading 1 to Heading 6, List Paragraph and so on, so it can be restyled in one go.
Does converting MD files here upload them?
Only for some conversions. Converting to DOCX, JPG, ODT, PNG, RST, RTF uses our conversion server, where the file is deleted as soon as the result is sent back; the other conversions run inside your browser and never leave your device.
Is the MD converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert MD files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your MD files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several MD files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.