The HackMD Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HackMD in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HackMD
The Insider’s Guide
Real-time collaborative Markdown editor and knowledge base
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among docs and wiki tools, read from HackMD’s own pages.
Made by HackMD · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HackMD’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HackMD’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 13 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HackMD, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for teams that write together in Markdown
There are no native apps, and writers who won't use Markdown should look elsewhere.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace).
- 3
There is 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.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 13 of 51
That is against the other docs and wiki tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of HackMD you could make: Markdown, notes and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
HackMD at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- HackMD, since 2014
- Category
- Docs & Wikis
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for teams that write together in Markdown
HackMD is a shared Markdown editor: several people type in one note with live cursors, leave comments, then publish it, present it as slides or push it to GitHub. The free plan stops at 3 teammates with no full-text search or PDF export, 10 versions and 1 MB images, and SSO, roles, custom domains, GitLab and self-hosting are Enterprise only. There are no native apps, and writers who won't use Markdown should look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Prime is $4 a month billed yearly for a personal workspace and $5 a seat billed annually for a team, which is inside the lowest-priced quarter for this category, where plans start from about $6. Paying monthly is dearer, at $6 and $8. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free forever with unlimited notes, but the caps bite: a team stops at 3 members, there's no full-text search and no PDF export, only the 10 most recent versions are kept, and images top out at 1 MB each. |
| Features | C | Live editing with multiple cursors, in-line comments and suggested edits, version history, GitHub sync, slide and book modes, and a REST API and CLI. Everything is written in Markdown, though, and role-based access control, custom domains, GitLab and self-hosting are all Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | C | No app rating on record. Nothing to install, and the editor shows the Markdown, the result or both side by side, but Markdown itself is the learning curve: a writer who won't type hashes and asterisks is stuck. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app that works in the browser on desktop, tablet and phone, with browser and VS Code extensions, GitHub, GitLab, Dropbox and Google Drive connections, and a REST API. No native apps at all. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HackMD is for
- Fits if your team already writes its documentation in Markdown
- Works for teams whose scripts and AI agents read and write notes through an API
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free: 3 teammates, no full-text search or PDF export, 10 versions and 1 MB images
- Not for you if you need SSO, roles, a custom domain, GitLab or self-hosting, which are Enterprise only
- Skip it if your writers would rather not touch Markdown, because that's what every note is written in
- Watch out: the free plan caps GitHub pushes at 20 and API calls at 400 a month
- Skip it if you want native apps; it's the browser plus browser and VS Code extensions
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4
A month to start. There is a free plan too
HackMD has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per month, billed yearly (Prime for a personal workspace).
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)
$4
per 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)
$5
per 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.
The 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.
Read from hackmd.io on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Lower 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.ioNonprofit
Non-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
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
Real-time collaborative Markdown editor and knowledge base. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, real-time collaboration, notes, Markdown, templates, presentations.
Everything is written in Markdown, though, and role-based access control, custom domains, GitLab and self-hosting are all Enterprise.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- VS Code
HackMD is made by HackMD, and has been around since 2014.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
13/51
Other docs and wiki tools it is graded above
HackMD's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 13 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 29 of 51) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $4 a month, against a middle price of $16.50 for the category: 4 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. HackMD’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 29 of 51
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 51
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 51
- CEase of useAbove 9 of 51
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 47 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HackMD is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of HackMD you could make: Markdown, notes and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 27 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools grade higher. It costs $48 a year.
What you could make
- Markdown, notes and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A slide editor.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, GitHub, GitLab and Dropbox among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
What this rests on. HackMD’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
HedgeDoc, CryptPad, Etherpad, GitBook and Outline
The 5 tools HackMD is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
HedgeDoc
Free
Open-source, self-hosted collaborative Markdown editor.
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- HedgeDoc is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- HackMD also covers templates.
- 3.0GPA
CryptPad
Free plan · from €5/mo
End-to-end encrypted, open-source collaborative office suite.
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- CryptPad is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- HackMD also covers notes, Markdown, templates and presentations.
- 2.6GPA
Etherpad
Free
Open-source real-time collaborative editor you host yourself.
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- Only Etherpad lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Etherpad is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
GitBook
Free plan · from $65/mo
Documentation platform for product and API docs, synced with Git.
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- HackMD also covers notes, templates and presentations.
- GitBook also covers AI search, AI agents and documents.
- 2.8GPA
Outline
Free plan · from $10/mo
Fast team knowledge base and wiki, cloud-hosted or self-hosted.
- Only HackMD lists a browser extension.
- Only Outline lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Outline is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
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.
How much does HackMD cost?
HackMD lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
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.
Who makes HackMD?
HackMD is made by a company of the same name. 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.
How does HackMD compare with other docs and wiki tools?
HackMD's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 13 of the 51 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 11.
Is HackMD good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HackMD B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4 a month, against a middle price of $16.50 for the category: 4 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HackMD?
The plain part of HackMD you could make: Markdown, notes and templates.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HackMD’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HackMD's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-05.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by HackMD. Prices change, so check hackmd.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HackMD, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hackmd
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HackMD: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hackmd
Know someone choosing between docs and wiki tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hackmd/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded docs and wiki tools after HackMD, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Docs & Wikis Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 docs and wiki tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Writer Insider's GuideFree online word processor with AI and document automation3.6 GPA
- Google Docs Insider's GuideBrowser-based word processor, free with a Google Account3.4 GPA
- ONLYOFFICE Insider's GuideOpen-source office suite for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HackMD’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HackMD is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by HackMD. Prices and plans change: check hackmd.io before you buy.