Dillinger vs Typora

Dillinger is a free web-based Markdown editor with live preview, cloud sync, and no signup requirement. Its Monaco editor includes syntax highlighting, multiple cursors, find and replace, and autocompletion. A side-by-side preview renders Markdown as you type and keeps scrolling aligned with the editor. Documents can be imported by drag and drop and exported as Markdown, styled HTML, or PDF. Dillinger also imports and saves files through GitHub, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Bitbucket; GitHub support covers public and private repositories and lets users save edits back. After the initial load, the editor works offline and keeps drafts in local storage, although cloud sync requires connectivity. Other options include dark mode, fullscreen Zen mode, and Vim and Emacs keybindings. The site describes use by developers, technical writers, and AI builders writing READMEs, documentation, blog posts, and LLM prompts. Documents save automatically in the browser, and the features page says data is not stored on Dillinger’s servers. The Free plan is free, with no signup, paywall, or usage limits.

Typora is a Markdown editor and reader for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with a live preview as you write. It supports images, headers, lists, tables, code fences, mathematics, diagrams, and inline styles, plus syntax highlighting for around 100 languages. Mermaid diagrams and MathJax extensions, including mhchem and AMSmath, are built in. Typora can export PDF with bookmarks and import or export formats including docx, OpenOffice, LaTeX, MediaWiki, and Epub. Themes can be customized with CSS. On macOS, it can upload images through iPic; Markdown files can also be synced using third-party tools such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. Documents, automatic backups, and application logs are stored locally. Anonymous usage data is sent only when the relevant preference is enabled. Typora works offline, but has no mobile apps or free plan. A 15-day free evaluation period is listed. The license costs $14.99 as a one-time purchase, covers one user on up to three devices, and has no subscription or renewal fee.