Tech Comparisons
Markdown vs HTML
Markdown is loved for its clean syntax; HTML gives you full control. Understanding when to use each will save you hours of editing and frustration.
| Feature | Markdown | HTML |
|---|---|---|
| Readability | Highly readable in raw form — plain text with minimal symbols. | Verbose tags make raw files harder to read and write quickly. |
| Learning curve | Minimal — most developers learn Markdown in under an hour. | Steeper — requires understanding tags, attributes, and nesting rules. |
| Flexibility | Limited — no native support for custom styling or complex layouts. | Unlimited — full control over structure, style, and behaviour. |
| Output | Converts to HTML — ultimately rendered as HTML in browsers. | Directly rendered by browsers — no conversion step needed. |
| Portability | Highly portable — renders nicely on GitHub, Notion, Confluence, docs. | Universal but verbose — needs a browser or renderer to look right. |
| Embeddable media | Basic image syntax; no native video or iframe support. | Full support for video, audio, iframes, canvas, SVG, and more. |
| Best for | Documentation, README files, blog posts, notes, wikis. | Web pages, emails, rich UIs, complex content with custom layouts. |
Markdown Pros & Cons
Pros
- Extremely fast to write — focus on content, not tags
- Readable in raw form without rendering
- Supported natively on GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Confluence
- Easy to version control — minimal diff noise
- Converts cleanly to HTML when needed
Cons
- Limited styling options without raw HTML embedded
- No standard for tables, footnotes, or task lists (varies by flavour)
- Cannot express complex layouts or interactive elements
- Requires a parser — not directly rendered by browsers
HTML Pros & Cons
Pros
- Complete control over structure and presentation
- Native browser support — no conversion needed
- Supports all media types, forms, and interactive elements
- Semantic tags improve accessibility and SEO
- Works with CSS and JavaScript for dynamic pages
Cons
- Verbose — much more to type for simple content
- Hard to read in raw form for non-developers
- Slow to write for documentation or notes
- More error-prone (unclosed tags, nesting mistakes)
Verdict
Use Markdown for documentation, README files, blog posts, and internal wikis — anywhere readability and speed of writing matter. Use HTML when you need precise control over layout, styling, or interactive elements. Many tools let you mix both: GitHub README files support raw HTML inside Markdown, and static site generators convert Markdown to HTML automatically.