PanWriter vs StackEdit

PanWriter is a free, open-source Markdown editor for preparing documents, with versions for Linux, macOS and Windows. It uses a text-focused workspace: write plain-text Markdown on one side while a live preview appears alongside it. A paginated preview helps review page layout for print or PDF, and CSS changes are reflected in the preview as they are made. Users can drag in a DOCX file to convert it to Markdown, edit the text and export it back to DOCX. Publishing options include HTML, DOCX, EPUB, LaTeX, PDF, PowerPoint, InDesign ICML and other Pandoc formats. Pandoc must be installed to export to most formats. PanWriter supports local files, and Pandoc scripts and integrations can automate workflows or connect it with web services and other applications. The editor supports CommonMark. Questions and feedback are handled through GitHub issues.

StackEdit is an in-browser Markdown editor for writing, formatting and publishing documents. It highlights Markdown syntax and offers formatting controls alongside a live preview whose scrolling follows the editor. The site says it remains accessible for offline writing, and it supports local files as well as cloud sync with Google Drive, Dropbox and GitHub. Writers can share collaborative workspaces; when two collaborators edit the same file simultaneously, StackEdit merges their changes. Files also support inline comments and embedded discussions. The editor handles Markdown Extra, GitHub Flavored Markdown and CommonMark, with features configurable. It can publish blog posts to Blogger, WordPress and Zendesk, using Markdown, HTML or Handlebars-template formatting. Other supported content includes LaTeX mathematical expressions, sequence diagrams, flow charts, musical scores in ABC notation and emoji markup. Export formats are Markdown, HTML and PDF. StackEdit is listed as free and open source under an Apache License. Supported platforms include the web, a Chrome extension and self-hosting; the maker’s site displays a 2013–2019 copyright range.