Markup Markdown
Disable Wordpress's native Gutenberg or TinyMCE editor in favor of a Markdown editor.
Safe pick
Yes — Markup Markdown is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 1K+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 weeks ago, and scores 86/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed — last update 4 weeks ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Momentum — downloads up 313.7% vs the previous 30 days
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Markup Markdown stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| editor | >100 |
| markdown | #1 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 11 reviews
About Markup Markdown
From the official readme · v4.0.2Description
This plugin replaces the Gutenberg block editor (or the classic TinyMCE) on the edit screen with EasyMDE, a markdown editor based on CodeMirror, fine-tuned to work smoothly with the WordPress admin panels.
The content is saved with the markdown syntax in the database and is rendered on the frontend thanks to the Parsedown PHP library after being sanitized via WordPress native filters.
That’s pretty all you should know. It’s under active development, keep in touch and feel free to drop a line on the forum, to let a rating or even support me by buying a coffee !
Frequently asked questions
How to install
The same as usual: Just download and upload the zip file to your wordpress instance. Or install directly by simply searching from the WP plugin panel. Activate the extension. All done! That’s all you should do.
Is it still compatible with Gutenberg or any other builder?
Yes but you can’t use both at the same time 😉 Data are saved as pure markdown code in the database, for the other builders on the market data are saved as HTML or custom markups like shortcodes. Currently data are still saved but won’t be converted or rendered correctly if you revert back or switch between editors.
Can I switch between editors or allow the markdown editor for specific users ?
Yes, please keep in mind it’s a global switch for every user. You need to stick to one editor with one post type. Any block editor will be disabled for all the users of your WordPress instance. filters are available to disable the markdown editor for specific custom post types at a global level. For example you can do a setup to use Divi or Elementor to edit your pages and Markdown to edit your blog’posts. Please refer to the forum to know how to do it.
Can I use it with custom fields? (Or within my theme)
Sure, developers & designers can access the public properties & methods of the instance inside their templates through the global mmd function. For example let’s say you want to use it with a custom field called ‘foo_bar’. You can use something like that: Disclaimer: with the plugin Advanced Custom Field (ACF), HTML content has been sanitized since v6.2.5. If you need to render iframes or others elements, instead of using: use
What’s the deal with the beta interface?
The default editor is based on EasyMDE so you can write in markdown and use WordPress feature at the same time. The side panel preview mode has been fixed since 3.0. The beta interface is based on SummerNote, a jQuery WYSIWYG Engine. The beta interface has been removed since 3.0 and will be available as a separate addon. It’s a custom version so you can get a live rendering when typing your content or adding medias. It’s not perfect, it’s still working well but for now you will have to modify the code on your own (builder or database) if something goes wrong. To find out more check my article…
Accessibility
The current version is based on components that are not compatible with assistive devices like screen readers. Several available alternative plugins could cover the gap while I’m working on a new interface. Thank you for your patience and your understanding.
Changelog
4.0.1
Trigger rebuild
4.0.0
Improvements:
– Moving further to WordPress Coding Standards
If you are a developer, the mmd prefix has been deprecated. Please use markup_markdown from now on. A compatibility layer covers most of the gaps, not 100%.
Bug fix:
– Geshi highlighting cache with the home / archive templates
Full changelog at https://www.markup-markdown.com/blog/changelog/
3.25.1
Bug fix:
– Updating cleaning rules
3.25.0
Bug fix:
– Nested lists can be generated with 2 or 4 indent spaces
Improvement:
– Possible to select the indent styles from the Layout settings page
3.24.1
Bug fix / Improvement:
– Adding missing classnames for tables for themes using Gutenberg styles
3.24.0
Improvement:
– Adding native basic support for TODO list items
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Markup Markdown alternatives
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FAQ
Markup Markdown: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is Markup Markdown free?
Yes. Markup Markdown is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. The developer also sells premium add-ons or a Pro version with extra features.
Is Markup Markdown safe to use in 2026?
Yes — Markup Markdown is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 1K+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 weeks ago, and scores 86/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Markup Markdown?
Markup Markdown is active on 1K+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 54,207 times since it launched in January 2022. It was downloaded 2,172 times in the last 30 days.
Does Markup Markdown work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested Markup Markdown up to WordPress 7.1.2, the latest release. It requires WordPress 6.6 or newer.
What PHP version does Markup Markdown need?
Markup Markdown requires PHP 7.2.0 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Markup Markdown last updated?
The latest version, 4.0.2, was released on September 8, 2026 (4 weeks ago).
Who makes Markup Markdown?
Markup Markdown is developed and maintained by Pierre-Henri Lavigne.
What are the best alternatives to Markup Markdown?
The most popular alternatives to Markup Markdown are Elementor Website Builder (10M+ installs), Classic Editor (8M+ installs) and Classic Widgets (2M+ installs).
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