Top 3 Killer Online Markdown Editors

Due to the rich text interface and wide-ranging features, MS word was the #1 writing tool in the 90s. With the expansion of internet and communication speed, online tools stole the spotlight, although offline software continues to live on.

Nonetheless, the times are changing with the arrival of a new alternative -- "Markdown Documents".

While HTML reigned as the prime markup language for years with very little alternatives, the arrival of Markdown brought some changes. Markdown is a light markup language based on the formatting patterns normally used in email.

Just as HTML, creating Markdown documents is very easy with Markdown editor. Want flexibility? Then these editors are just the thing for you,h as browsers can access them from anywhere. It's a fusion of formatting-free text editing and word processing. This makes Markdown completely universal across various operating systems. And while some online editors allow you to post documents to blogging platforms, such as Tumblr, Blogger, and WordPress, they don't comply so nicely when you need to write content for your own site.

For a ton of reasons.

And although many are diehard fans of plain text, some find it extremely minimal (in a bad way). So as such people can go for Markdown as a good in-between option. In terms of productivity, Markdown is perfect as it focuses on the number 1 thing: YOUR WRITING.

Once you learn to use it fast and instant, you can format text without ever touching your mouse again. And the best part? You can jot down Markdown pretty much in any text editor and convert it to another using Markdown Dingus.

Today, we'll go over some prominent online options for editing complex Markdown documents, the majority of which offer a familiar split-screen view, syntax on the left and the outcome at right. WITHOUT installing any extra software.

Let's jump right in:

Github Gist is a web application allowing almost any internet-connected computer to create and distribute code samples, although, using them on mobiles may introduce difficulties basing on individual compatibility.

GitHub Gist lets you generate code snippets that you can share across the community in any coding language in the long list within the database. It is an excellent collection of applications that you can improve in and distribute among the ones in the Github community.

The Gist community lets users examine an ever growing series of code snippets for any virtual purpose and the worldwide users add more coding to help others or to get help. While lots of these codes don't actually have an addressable description, yet everybody is allowed to see and use them.

GitHub Gist offers distributable links for each Gist and you can put them in sites, emails, forums and anything else supporting links. It also lets you embed the code entry to your site right away. And as some forums let you embed coding for samples, this feature might come in handy.

This also lets users include multiple files with each created 'Gist', which you might find useful while building pieces requiring a number of files. For instance: you could create an HTML website to distribute amongst the ones interested in the work. As website templates may include many pages of raw codes, Gist will let you add those that you need.

One downside of gist is not being able to share code snippets automatically on social networks. Even though the app offers a direct code snippet link that you can add to your social media timeline, the auto sharing feature appeals more to many developers.

The gist comes with a free and subscription version that allow private and few extras that might come handy.

• Micro - $7 per month - 5 private repositories, email support SSL protection, and more.
• Small  - $12 per month - 10 private repositories
• Medium - $22 per month - 20 private repositories
• Large - $50 per month - 50 private repositories

Gist is the best bet when you need a simple tool for sharing code snippets with a self-explanatory and easy to use interface. Plus, there are alternatives that make sharing snippets socially more appealing. There's some interaction among the users on the system, however, this lacks the crucial social network connectivity that others use. If you need a basic alternative, then set up an account is easy and sharing your is a matter of minutes.

Looking for a simple and quick markdown doc or readme file? That you can save and edit later? Where you can invite your team and work together on docs?

Look no further because Docsie.io has you covered.

Docsie is a free minimalist markdown editor with powerful features, allowing you to throw in beautiful photos with the simple unsplash integration. The complimentary CDN and image gallery lets you share image assets across multiple markdown documents. The editor is great for creating all your softwares quickly and when done working, you can just export the articles in markdown format to edit, translate or version it later on.

Aside from being an excellent editor for markdown docs, you can also use it as a headless CMS . If you're looking for something simple to do your docs and export them into markdown then docsie.io is for you.

To recap

• Allows to create and import existing markdown files.
• Complimentary CDN.
• Unsplash Integration.
• Support for Teams.
• Export text to Markdown file.
• Simple What You See is What You Get Editor (WYSIWYG)

Markable is a free web app offering a ton to Markdown developers - writing, previewing, and even sharing using wide-ranging services. To use the site, first, you must create an account on it. From thereon, you can log into your account and start typing your markdown text, with a preview loaded at the right pane.

Markable lets you save markdown texts on your online account to access them from anywhere. Your saved text can be exported to an HTML or Markdown file right away if you want to download the work. Online options involve exporting the markdown text to Dropbox or Evernote and posting it on Tumblr. You also get import options with it - downloading the files, or simply grabbing the text right away from an HTMl by uploading it. Further, the site allows text sharing by giving you the option of setting your work as public.

Let's take a recap of this markdown editors:

• User-friendly website.
• Allows editing and previewing markdown text.
• Allows importing text from Dropbox, HTML, and Evernote.
• Allows exporting text to Evernote, Dropbox, and Tumblr.
• Allows exporting text to an HTML or Markdown file.
• Allows sharing of your work by making it public.

While Markdown doesn't suit everyone, it's not hard to learn and goes a long way. It's just the thing for anyone finding plain text overly minimal and word processors extremely bloated.