Free Online Markdown Editor with Live Preview
Quick answer
Write Markdown on the left and watch it render on the right as you type. This free editor supports tables, task lists and code blocks, exports clean .md or standalone .html, and auto-saves to your browser — no signup, no upload, and your documents never leave your device.
Last updated: October 16, 2026
A good Markdown editor disappears behind the writing: format buttons when you want them, instant rendering when you glance right, and exports that just work. This one adds a privacy guarantee the cloud tools cannot match — the document is composed, rendered and stored entirely in your browser tab, so notes, READMEs and drafts stay on your machine with no account anywhere in the loop.
Use the tool belowThe preview renders with GitHub-flavored Markdown (tables, task lists, strikethrough) and is sanitized before display. Your document auto-saves to this browser only — nothing is uploaded and no account exists.
Markdown Editor runs entirely in your browser — nothing you paste or type is uploaded to any server, and no account is needed.
How do I write Markdown with a live preview?
- 1
Start typing in the left editor, or press Sample to load a document that demonstrates headings, lists, tables and code.
- 2
Use the toolbar for speed — bold, headings, links, lists and a table skeleton are one click; keyboard-only writers can ignore it entirely.
- 3
Watch the right pane render live: GitHub-flavored tables, task lists, code blocks and quotes appear exactly as GitHub or your static site will show them.
- 4
Export when ready — copy Markdown, copy the rendered HTML, or download a .md file or a standalone .html page with styles baked in.
What this Markdown editor includes
True live preview
The rendered view updates on every keystroke with no debounce lag worth noticing. GitHub-flavored Markdown is supported end to end: tables, task lists, strikethrough, fenced code blocks and autolinks.
One-click formatting toolbar
Bold, italic, three heading levels, links, images, inline code, code blocks, quotes, both list types, tables and horizontal rules. Prefix toggles are smart: pressing Bullet list twice removes it, so the toolbar edits as well as inserts.
Exports that travel
Download the source as .md for your repository or note app, or grab a standalone .html with embedded styles that opens correctly anywhere by double-click — no external CSS, no missing fonts.
Sanitized rendering
Raw HTML pasted into Markdown is sanitized before display (script tags and event handlers stripped), so a document from someone else cannot execute anything in your browser while you preview it.
Auto-save to your browser
Your draft persists in localStorage on your own device and is restored when you return — local persistence like a desktop app, without installing one.
Free and account-free
Every button works with no signup: no word-count ceilings, no export limits, no premium template gallery. A Markdown editor is a basic utility and is priced accordingly — free.
CodeLive Studio vs StackEdit vs Dillinger vs Obsidian
Where a browser editor fits among the popular ways to write Markdown — an honest look rather than a sales pitch.
| What matters | CodeLive Studio | StackEdit | Dillinger | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Browser page | Cloud web app | Cloud web app | Desktop app |
| Account required | Never | Optional; cloud sync wants Google/Dropbox login | Optional; export wants cloud login | No |
| Documents stay on your device | Yes — local auto-save only | Synced to cloud when connected | Synced/exported via cloud services | Yes — local vault |
| Live preview | Yes, side-by-side | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GFM tables & task lists | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Standalone HTML export | Yes — styled, self-contained | Via export menu | Yes | Via plugins |
| Works offline after load | Yes | Partially (app shell) | No | Yes (native app) |
| Setup effort | Open a page | Open a page + login | Open a page + login | Install + learn vault model |
Based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Fair credits: Obsidian is the strongest knowledge base for long-term, linked note collections, and StackEdit's cloud sync is genuinely useful across devices. This editor targets the fast draft-preview-export loop with zero setup and zero accounts.
What can you write with a Markdown editor?
Markdown is the lingua franca of technical writing: README files, pull-request descriptions, documentation sites, blog posts in static-site generators, forum posts, chat apps. An editor with live preview closes the gap between what you type and what readers see — tables stop being a character-counting exercise, and nesting mistakes show up instantly instead of after publishing.
The standalone HTML export covers the rest: email drafts, printable notes, or dropping a formatted page somewhere that only accepts HTML. Because the export inlines its styles, the result looks the same on any machine — a small thing that saves real time.
Questions this tool answers
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Frequently asked questions
Is this Markdown editor free?
Yes — completely free with no account, no export limits and no premium tier. The tool runs entirely in your browser, so there are no hosting or sync costs to pass on to you.
Where are my documents stored?
In your own browser's localStorage — on your device, not in a cloud. The current document auto-saves as you type and is restored when you return. Clear the editor or your browser data and it is gone; nothing was ever uploaded.
Which Markdown flavor is supported?
GitHub-flavored Markdown (GFM): tables, task lists, strikethrough, fenced code blocks with language hints, and autolinks — the flavor used by GitHub, most static-site generators and most documentation tools.
Can I export the preview as HTML?
Yes — Copy HTML gives you the rendered fragment, and Download .html gives a complete standalone page with embedded styles that opens correctly by double-clicking, offline, on any machine.
Is pasted HTML in the preview safe?
Yes — the rendered output is passed through a sanitizer that strips scripts, event handlers and other active content before display, so previewing a document from someone else cannot run code in your browser.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. The editor and preview stack vertically on small screens with their own scrolling, and the toolbar buttons are touch-sized. Fine for drafting and checking documents on the go.
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