Markdown vs HTML — which one should you write in?
Markdown is easier to author; HTML is what the browser ultimately renders. Modern pipelines author in Markdown and publish HTML.
Quick verdict
- Authoring documents → Markdown.
- Final rendering for a browser → HTML.
- Modern pipelines: write Markdown, generate HTML at build time.
Side-by-side
| Aspect | Markdown | HTML |
|---|---|---|
| Syntax style | Lightweight markup | Tag-based markup |
| Learning curve | Low | Moderate |
| Expressive range | Limited (extended by plug-ins) | Full |
| Static site generators | Excellent fit | Rarely hand-authored today |
| Git friendliness | Great | Great |
Typical usage
- Blog posts and technical articles → Markdown (compiled by Next.js / Hugo / Jekyll).
- Email bodies → HTML for rich rendering.
- OSS READMEs → Markdown, always.