PDF or Word for your Markdown file?
The same .md file can become a PDF or a .docx. Choose wrong and you usually start over, so decide based on what the recipient will do with the file.
Decide by what happens next
| Situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| A client or partner needs to read it | |
| Submit a report, print it, sign it | |
| A colleague must edit it or add a cover page | Word (.docx) |
| It enters a Word-based review workflow | Word (.docx) |
| Long-term archive, no layout drift |
PDF keeps the file still
A PDF freezes the layout. It looks the same on any machine and the same on paper. The text stays real rather than becoming a picture, so search and copy still work.
The downside is that same freezing: the recipient cannot edit it without dedicated tools.
Step by step: convert .md to PDF.
Word when the recipient has more work to do
A .docx lets the recipient add a cover, apply company styles, insert an automatic table of contents, then export a PDF once the review is done.
In exchange, the layout can shift on a machine without the right fonts, and the file is easy to change by accident. For a document you have already signed off, that is a real risk.
Step by step: convert .md to Word.
What both routes give you
The conversion runs in your browser, with no Office installation. Headings, lists, tables, bold and italic text, and code blocks all survive.
Local images need one extra step: press the folder button to grant access before exporting, or those images are skipped. Mermaid diagrams are re-rendered with the light theme. The Word file embeds them as PNG, while the PDF keeps them as vectors.
Tips to avoid a second export
- Name the file before you export (
Q4-report-v2.md). The file name becomes the document name, and fixing it afterwards is more work. - Use real headings with
#and##instead of bold text. Only headings produce an automatic table of contents in Word or PDF. - Keep images next to the .md file and press the folder button first.
- Export both for a mixed audience: PDF to read, DOCX to edit.
Read .md files in your browser
Drop a file into MDFrame to see the formatted document, search it, print it, or export PDF/Word. Your file never leaves your device.
Open the app