Comparison
Dillinger vs Typora
Typora is the most polished desktop markdown experience — a paid native app with seamless WYSIWYG editing. Dillinger is the most polished web-based markdown experience — free, no install, with built-in cloud sync. Many writers use both.
| Feature | Dillinger | Typora |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $14.99 (one-time) |
| Platform | Web (any browser) | Desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux) |
| Signup required | No | No (license key) |
| Editor model | Side-by-side preview | Seamless WYSIWYG |
| Editor engine | Monaco (VS Code) | Custom WYSIWYG |
| GitHub sync | Yes | No |
| Dropbox sync | Yes | Folder-based only |
| Google Drive sync | Yes | Folder-based only |
| OneDrive sync | Yes | Folder-based only |
| Bitbucket sync | Yes | No |
| PDF export | Yes | Yes |
| HTML export | Yes | Yes |
| DOCX / Word export | No | Yes |
| LaTeX / EPUB export | No | Yes |
| Math (LaTeX / MathJax) | Yes | Yes |
| Mermaid diagrams | No | Yes |
| Multiple documents | Yes | Yes (file tree) |
| Themes | Light / dark | Fully customizable (CSS) |
| Works offline | Yes (after first load) | Yes (native app) |
| Install required | No | Yes |
When to choose Dillinger
- You want to start writing immediately in the browser — no install, no purchase
- You sync files between devices through GitHub, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or Bitbucket
- You prefer a side-by-side editor and live preview over WYSIWYG
- You like the VS Code editing experience with Vim or Emacs keybindings
- You work across machines that you cannot install software on
When to choose Typora
- You write long-form content offline and want a true desktop app
- You prefer seamless WYSIWYG over a separate preview pane
- You need DOCX, EPUB, OpenOffice, or LaTeX export
- You want Mermaid diagram support and deep CSS theme customization
- You are happy to pay $14.99 once for a polished native experience