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Markdown parser, done right. 100% CommonMark support, extensions, syntax plugins & high speed

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Quick Overview

markdown-it is a modern, fast, and extensible Markdown parser implemented in JavaScript. It's designed to be feature-rich while maintaining high speed and allowing for easy customization through plugins. The library is widely used for converting Markdown to HTML in various web applications and development environments.

Pros

  • High performance and speed compared to other Markdown parsers
  • Extensive plugin system for easy customization and feature extension
  • Follows CommonMark spec with support for additional syntax extensions
  • Well-documented API and active community support

Cons

  • Learning curve for advanced customization and plugin development
  • Some less common Markdown features may require additional plugins
  • Potential overhead for simple use cases that don't require extensive features

Code Examples

  1. Basic usage:
const MarkdownIt = require('markdown-it');
const md = new MarkdownIt();

const result = md.render('# Hello, world!');
console.log(result); // Outputs: <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
  1. Using options:
const md = new MarkdownIt({
  html: true,
  linkify: true,
  typographer: true
});

const result = md.render('_Hello_ world! https://example.com');
console.log(result);
// Outputs: <p><em>Hello</em> world! <a href="https://example.com">https://example.com</a></p>
  1. Adding a plugin:
const md = new MarkdownIt();
const emoji = require('markdown-it-emoji');

md.use(emoji);

const result = md.render('I :heart: markdown-it!');
console.log(result);
// Outputs: <p>I ❤️ markdown-it!</p>

Getting Started

To use markdown-it in your project, follow these steps:

  1. Install the package:

    npm install markdown-it

  2. Import and use in your JavaScript file:

    const MarkdownIt = require('markdown-it');
const md = new MarkdownIt();

const markdown = '# Hello, markdown-it!';
const html = md.render(markdown);

console.log(html);

This will output the HTML generated from the Markdown input. You can further customize the parser by passing options to the constructor or adding plugins as needed.

Competitor Comparisons

commonmark logo

commonmark.js

1,436

CommonMark parser and renderer in JavaScript

Pros of commonmark.js

  • Strictly adheres to the CommonMark specification, ensuring consistent parsing across implementations
  • Lightweight and focused solely on CommonMark parsing, making it ideal for projects requiring strict compliance
  • Extensive test suite covering all CommonMark examples

Cons of commonmark.js

  • Limited extensibility compared to markdown-it, with fewer plugins and customization options
  • Slower parsing performance, especially for larger documents
  • Less active development and community support

Code Comparison

markdown-it:

const md = require('markdown-it')();
const result = md.render('# Hello, world!');

commonmark.js:

const parser = new require('commonmark').Parser();
const renderer = new require('commonmark').HtmlRenderer();
const result = renderer.render(parser.parse('# Hello, world!'));

Key Differences

  • markdown-it offers a more streamlined API and extensive plugin ecosystem
  • commonmark.js focuses on strict CommonMark compliance
  • markdown-it provides better performance for most use cases
  • commonmark.js has a more modular architecture, separating parsing and rendering

Use Cases

  • Choose markdown-it for general-purpose Markdown parsing with extensibility
  • Opt for commonmark.js when strict CommonMark compliance is required or when working with other CommonMark-compliant tools
markedjs logo

marked

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A markdown parser and compiler. Built for speed.

Pros of marked

  • Lightweight and fast, with minimal dependencies
  • Simple API and easy to use out of the box
  • Extensive community support and long-standing reputation

Cons of marked

  • Less extensible compared to markdown-it
  • Fewer built-in features and customization options
  • May have some inconsistencies with CommonMark specification

Code comparison

marked:

import marked from 'marked';

const html = marked('# Hello, world!');
console.log(html);

markdown-it:

import MarkdownIt from 'markdown-it';

const md = new MarkdownIt();
const html = md.render('# Hello, world!');
console.log(html);

Both libraries provide simple ways to convert Markdown to HTML, but markdown-it offers more configuration options and plugins for advanced use cases. marked is more straightforward for basic implementations, while markdown-it provides greater flexibility and adherence to specifications.

marked is ideal for projects requiring a lightweight, fast Markdown parser with minimal setup. markdown-it is better suited for applications needing extensive customization, strict specification compliance, or advanced features through its plugin system.

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showdown

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A bidirectional Markdown to HTML to Markdown converter written in Javascript

Pros of Showdown

  • Simpler API and easier to get started with for beginners
  • Built-in browser support without additional bundling
  • More flexible configuration options for customization

Cons of Showdown

  • Generally slower performance, especially for larger documents
  • Less actively maintained with fewer recent updates
  • More limited extension ecosystem compared to Markdown-it

Code Comparison

Showdown:

var converter = new showdown.Converter();
var html = converter.makeHtml('# Hello, Markdown!');

Markdown-it:

var md = require('markdown-it')();
var html = md.render('# Hello, Markdown!');

Both libraries offer straightforward ways to convert Markdown to HTML, but Markdown-it's approach is slightly more concise. Showdown's API is more object-oriented, while Markdown-it uses a functional style.

Markdown-it provides better performance and a more robust plugin system, making it suitable for larger projects and advanced use cases. Showdown, on the other hand, offers easier integration in browser environments and might be preferable for simpler applications or those new to Markdown parsing.

The choice between these libraries depends on specific project requirements, performance needs, and the developer's familiarity with each library's ecosystem and API.

jonschlinkert logo

remarkable

5,743

Markdown parser, done right. Commonmark support, extensions, syntax plugins, high speed - all in one. Gulp and metalsmith plugins available. Used by Facebook, Docusaurus and many others! Use https://github.com/breakdance/breakdance for HTML-to-markdown conversion. Use https://github.com/jonschlinkert/markdown-toc to generate a table of contents.

Pros of Remarkable

  • Faster parsing and rendering performance
  • Smaller bundle size, making it more lightweight
  • Simpler API, which can be easier for beginners to use

Cons of Remarkable

  • Less active maintenance and updates compared to markdown-it
  • Fewer built-in extensions and plugins available
  • Limited CommonMark compliance, which may affect compatibility with some Markdown variants

Code Comparison

Remarkable:

var md = new Remarkable();
var result = md.render('# Hello, world!');

markdown-it:

var md = require('markdown-it')();
var result = md.render('# Hello, world!');

Both libraries offer similar basic usage, but markdown-it provides more options for customization and extension. Remarkable's simpler API can be advantageous for quick implementations, while markdown-it's flexibility is better suited for complex projects requiring extensive Markdown processing capabilities.

The choice between these libraries depends on specific project requirements, such as performance needs, desired features, and the level of Markdown compliance required. Remarkable may be preferable for projects prioritizing speed and simplicity, while markdown-it is better for those needing extensive customization and broader Markdown support.

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README

markdown-it

CI NPM version Coverage Status Gitter

Markdown parser done right. Fast and easy to extend.

Live demo

  • Follows the CommonMark spec + adds syntax extensions & sugar (URL autolinking, typographer).
  • Configurable syntax! You can add new rules and even replace existing ones.
  • High speed.
  • Safe by default.
  • Community-written plugins and other packages on npm.

Table of content

Install

node.js:

npm install markdown-it

browser (CDN):

Usage examples

See also:

Simple

// node.js
// can use `require('markdown-it')` for CJS
import markdownit from 'markdown-it'
const md = markdownit()
const result = md.render('# markdown-it rulezz!');

// browser with UMD build, added to "window" on script load
// Note, there is no dash in "markdownit".
const md = window.markdownit();
const result = md.render('# markdown-it rulezz!');

Single line rendering, without paragraph wrap:

import markdownit from 'markdown-it'
const md = markdownit()
const result = md.renderInline('__markdown-it__ rulezz!');

Init with presets and options

(*) presets define combinations of active rules and options. Can be "commonmark", "zero" or "default" (if skipped). See API docs for more details.

import markdownit from 'markdown-it'

// commonmark mode
const md = markdownit('commonmark')

// default mode
const md = markdownit()

// enable everything
const md = markdownit({
  html: true,
  linkify: true,
  typographer: true
})

// full options list (defaults)
const md = markdownit({
  // Enable HTML tags in source
  html:         false,

  // Use '/' to close single tags (<br />).
  // This is only for full CommonMark compatibility.
  xhtmlOut:     false,

  // Convert '\n' in paragraphs into <br>
  breaks:       false,

  // CSS language prefix for fenced blocks. Can be
  // useful for external highlighters.
  langPrefix:   'language-',

  // Autoconvert URL-like text to links
  linkify:      false,

  // Enable some language-neutral replacement + quotes beautification
  // For the full list of replacements, see https://github.com/markdown-it/markdown-it/blob/master/lib/rules_core/replacements.mjs
  typographer:  false,

  // Double + single quotes replacement pairs, when typographer enabled,
  // and smartquotes on. Could be either a String or an Array.
  //
  // For example, you can use '«»„“' for Russian, '„“‚‘' for German,
  // and ['«\xA0', '\xA0»', '‹\xA0', '\xA0›'] for French (including nbsp).
  quotes: '“”‘’',

  // Highlighter function. Should return escaped HTML,
  // or '' if the source string is not changed and should be escaped externally.
  // If result starts with <pre... internal wrapper is skipped.
  highlight: function (/*str, lang*/) { return ''; }
});

Plugins load

import markdownit from 'markdown-it'

const md = markdownit
  .use(plugin1)
  .use(plugin2, opts, ...)
  .use(plugin3);

Syntax highlighting

Apply syntax highlighting to fenced code blocks with the highlight option:

import markdownit from 'markdown-it'
import hljs from 'highlight.js' // https://highlightjs.org

// Actual default values
const md = markdownit({
  highlight: function (str, lang) {
    if (lang && hljs.getLanguage(lang)) {
      try {
        return hljs.highlight(str, { language: lang }).value;
      } catch (__) {}
    }

    return ''; // use external default escaping
  }
});

Or with full wrapper override (if you need assign class to <pre> or <code>):

import markdownit from 'markdown-it'
import hljs from 'highlight.js' // https://highlightjs.org

// Actual default values
const md = markdownit({
  highlight: function (str, lang) {
    if (lang && hljs.getLanguage(lang)) {
      try {
        return '<pre><code class="hljs">' +
               hljs.highlight(str, { language: lang, ignoreIllegals: true }).value +
               '</code></pre>';
      } catch (__) {}
    }

    return '<pre><code class="hljs">' + md.utils.escapeHtml(str) + '</code></pre>';
  }
});

Linkify

linkify: true uses linkify-it. To configure linkify-it, access the linkify instance through md.linkify:

md.linkify.set({ fuzzyEmail: false });  // disables converting email to link

API

API documentation

If you are going to write plugins, please take a look at Development info.

Syntax extensions

Embedded (enabled by default):

Via plugins:

Manage rules

By default all rules are enabled, but can be restricted by options. On plugin load all its rules are enabled automatically.

import markdownit from 'markdown-it'

// Activate/deactivate rules, with currying
const md = markdownit()
  .disable(['link', 'image'])
  .enable(['link'])
  .enable('image');

// Enable everything
const md = markdownit({
  html: true,
  linkify: true,
  typographer: true,
});

You can find all rules in sources:

Benchmark

Here is the result of readme parse at MB Pro Retina 2013 (2.4 GHz):

npm run benchmark-deps
benchmark/benchmark.mjs readme

Selected samples: (1 of 28)
 > README

Sample: README.md (7774 bytes)
 > commonmark-reference x 1,222 ops/sec ±0.96% (97 runs sampled)
 > current x 743 ops/sec ±0.84% (97 runs sampled)
 > current-commonmark x 1,568 ops/sec ±0.84% (98 runs sampled)
 > marked x 1,587 ops/sec ±4.31% (93 runs sampled)

Note. CommonMark version runs with simplified link normalizers for more "honest" compare. Difference is ≈1.5×.

As you can see, markdown-it doesn't pay with speed for its flexibility. Slowdown of "full" version caused by additional features not available in other implementations.

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Available as part of the Tidelift Subscription.

The maintainers of markdown-it and thousands of other packages are working with Tidelift to deliver commercial support and maintenance for the open source dependencies you use to build your applications. Save time, reduce risk, and improve code health, while paying the maintainers of the exact dependencies you use. Learn more.

Authors

markdown-it is the result of the decision of the authors who contributed to 99% of the Remarkable code to move to a project with the same authorship but new leadership (Vitaly and Alex). It's not a fork.

References / Thanks

Big thanks to John MacFarlane for his work on the CommonMark spec and reference implementations. His work saved us a lot of time during this project's development.

Related Links:

Ports

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