HackMD
Real-time collaborative Markdown editor and knowledge base
What is HackMD?
HackMD is a collaborative Markdown workspace where several people edit a note at once with live cursors, comments and version history. Notes can be published under a custom permalink, presented as slides or collected into a book, and synced with GitHub. A REST API and CLI let scripts and AI agents read and write the same notes as Markdown.
HackMD has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace). See every plan
Good for
- Developer teams that write documentation in Markdown
- Open communities publishing notes that anyone can read
- Feeding documentation to scripts and AI agents as Markdown
Worth knowing
- Free team workspaces stop at 3 members; a larger private team pays per seat for Prime.
- Full-text search and PDF export are not on the Free plan, which also limits images to 1 MB each.
- SSO, role-based access control, custom domains, GitLab integration and self-hosting are Enterprise only.
- HackMD is used in the browser on desktop, tablet and phone; the site mentions browser and VS Code extensions rather than native apps.
Key features
- Real-time Markdown editing
- Several people edit a note at once with multiple cursors, in an editor that can show the Markdown source, the rendered result or both side by side.
- Comments and suggested edits
- Notes take in-line and page comments, mentions and suggested edits. Read, write and comment permissions can each be set to owners, signed-in users or everyone.
- Version history
- Every edit is tracked so an earlier version can be recovered. The Free plan keeps the 10 most recent versions and Prime keeps them all.
- GitHub sync
- Notes can be pushed to GitHub: 20 pushes a month on the Free plan and unlimited on Prime. GitLab integration is an Enterprise feature.
- Slide and book modes
- A note can be organized into slides with a special syntax and presented in slide mode, and book mode turns an ordered list of note links into a collection.
- API and CLI
- Any note can be pulled as Markdown, or written back, through the REST API or CLI. Free workspaces get 400 API calls a month and a Prime team gets 20,000.
HackMD pricing
- Starts at
- $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace)
- Free plan
- Free forever: unlimited notes, up to 3 teammates, 3 custom templates, the 10 most recent versions, 20 GitHub pushes and 400 API calls a month, and images up to 1 MB each.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited notes, up to 3 teammates, 3 invitees, 3 custom templates, GitHub integration with 20 pushes a month, and images up to 1 MB each. |
| Prime (personal) | $4per month, billed yearly ($6 billed monthly) | For a personal workspace: full-text search, PDF export, unlimited versions, invites, templates and GitHub pushes, and 10K API calls a month. |
| Prime (team) | $5per seat / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly) | For a team workspace: seats beyond the 3 free members, the same Prime features, 20 MB image uploads and 20,000 API calls a month. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Adds SSO through SAML or LDAP, role-based access control, a custom domain and homepage, GitLab integration, self-hosting and priority support. |
Read from hackmd.io on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with HackMD before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountLower Prime prices with yearly billing
A Prime team seat is $5 a month billed annually against $8 billed monthly, shown as a 37.5% saving. Personal Prime is $4 a month billed yearly against $6.
Stated on hackmd.io - NonprofitNon-profit sponsorship program
Non-profits and educational organizations can apply by email for sponsorship. On approval, a free private team can be expanded from 3 to 20 members.
Stated on hackmd.io
Works with
HackMD alternatives
- HackMD vs CryptPad
Free plan · from €5/mo
- HackMD vs GitBook
Free plan · from $65/mo
- HackMD vs Outline
Free plan · from $10/mo
Common questions
Is HackMD free?
HackMD has a free plan. Free forever: unlimited notes, up to 3 teammates, 3 custom templates, the 10 most recent versions, 20 GitHub pushes and 400 API calls a month, and images up to 1 MB each. Paid plans start at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace).
How much does HackMD cost?
HackMD lists 4 plans. Free: $0. Prime (personal): $4 per month, billed yearly ($6 billed monthly). Prime (team): $5 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly). Enterprise: custom pricing. Prices were read from hackmd.io on Oct 5, 2026.
What platforms does HackMD work on?
HackMD is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does HackMD offer any discounts?
HackMD publicly lists the following: Lower Prime prices with yearly billing; Non-profit sponsorship program.
Does HackMD have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. HackMD is listed for Web.
Does HackMD have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. HackMD is listed for Web.
Is HackMD open source?
HackMD is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does HackMD have an API?
Yes. HackMD offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does HackMD integrate with?
HackMD's listing names GitHub, GitLab, Dropbox, Google Drive and VS Code. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes HackMD?
HackMD is made by HackMD. It dates from 2014.
What are the alternatives to HackMD?
The closest alternatives to HackMD in our directory are HedgeDoc, CryptPad, Etherpad, GitBook and Outline. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with HackMD.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026.