pdf2md.morethan.io is one of the best-known PDF to markdown converters on the web and has ranked near the top for "pdf to markdown" for years. Craft Markdown is a newer multi-format converter. Both do the work in your browser, so this is not a privacy contest. It is a question of output, formats, and workflow.
We checked both tools in October 2026: pdf2md's page and its open-source code, and Craft Markdown's own converter code. Here is an honest breakdown.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Craft Markdown | pdf2md.morethan.io |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your browser (PDF.js) | Your browser (PDF.js) |
| File uploaded? | No | No |
| Formats | 12 (PDF, Word, Excel, HTML, CSV, JSON, XML, TXT, RTF, MD) | 1 (PDF only) |
| PDF output | Headings from font size (three levels), lists, bold, paragraphs rejoined, repeating headers and footers dropped | Headings from font sizes, lists, bold and italic, code blocks, repeating headers and footers dropped |
| Tables | Simple aligned tables as pipe tables; complex tables as cell text | Cell text in reading order |
| Scanned PDFs | No OCR | No OCR |
| Several files at once | Yes, with ZIP download | One at a time |
| Source code | Closed | Open source (MIT, jzillmann/pdf-to-markdown) |
| Maintenance | Active | Little activity since 2021 |
| Free | Yes, no limits | Yes |
Bottom line: both guess headings, lists and bold from the PDF and drop repeating headers and footers. Craft Markdown also turns simple aligned tables into pipe tables, handles many files at once, and converts eleven other formats on the same page. Both keep your PDF on your device.
Overview
What is Craft Markdown?
Craft Markdown is a multi-format document converter that runs in your browser. It converts PDF, Word, Excel, HTML, CSV, JSON, XML, text and RTF files to Markdown without uploading them. For PDFs it uses PDF.js to read the text layer of each page, then rejoins wrapped lines into paragraphs, turns clearly larger fonts into headings, picks up lists, bold runs and simple aligned tables, and drops running headers, footers and page numbers that repeat on every page.
What is pdf2md.morethan.io?
pdf2md is the hosted version of an open-source JavaScript project, jzillmann/pdf-to-markdown. It also uses PDF.js in the browser, then runs a set of heuristics that turn larger fonts into Markdown headings, detect lists and code blocks, keep bold and italic, and remove repeating headers and footers. It does not build tables. It converts PDFs only.
Key Differences
Privacy: A Tie
Both tools process the PDF in your browser. Craft Markdown has no server-side conversion code at all; pdf2md's JavaScript bundle includes the PDF.js worker, which means the parsing happens on your machine too. Neither uploads your document.
If you are choosing between these two on privacy, you do not need to choose. Pick on the other criteria.
Output Structure: Both Guess, Only Craft Markdown Builds Tables
Craft Markdown reads the text of every page, rejoins wrapped lines and hyphenated words into paragraphs, and turns fonts clearly larger than the body text into #, ## and ### headings (a heading that is only bold becomes a bold line instead). Bullet and numbered markers become list items, bold runs become **bold**, and running headers, footers and page numbers that repeat on every page are dropped. When three or more consecutive lines share the same aligned columns, they become a pipe table. If layout recovery fails, you get the plain text of every page.
pdf2md looks at font sizes and positions and guesses which lines are headings and list items. It also keeps bold and italic, detects code blocks and a table of contents, and removes repeating headers and footers. On a well-formed report that gives you usable # headings for free. On slides, forms, or documents with decorative fonts, the guesses can be wrong and need cleanup. The same caveat applies to Craft Markdown's heuristics.
Winner: close. Both recover headings, lists, bold and repeating headers and footers. Craft Markdown turns simple aligned tables into pipe tables, which pdf2md does not; pdf2md keeps italic and detects code blocks, which Craft Markdown does not. Neither handles tables with merged cells, wrapped cell text or multi-line headers; those come out as text in reading order in both. For such tables, convert the original Word or CSV file, or use a layout-aware tool such as Docling (see our best PDF converters comparison).
Format Support: 12 vs 1
Craft Markdown converts, on one page:
- PDF to Markdown
- Word (DOCX) to Markdown
- Excel to Markdown
- HTML to Markdown
- CSV to Markdown
- JSON to Markdown
- XML to Markdown
- TXT to Markdown
- RTF and existing Markdown files
pdf2md converts PDFs and nothing else.
Winner: Craft Markdown.
Batch Conversion
Drop ten PDFs on Craft Markdown and each converts on its own, with a single ZIP download for all of them. pdf2md takes one file at a time.
Winner: Craft Markdown.
Openness and Maintenance
pdf2md is open source under the MIT license, so you can read exactly what the heuristics do and run it yourself. The project has seen little development since a restructuring in 2020 and 2021. Craft Markdown's code is not public, but the site is actively developed.
Winner: pdf2md on openness, Craft Markdown on maintenance.
When to Use Each Tool
Choose Craft Markdown If:
- You have Word, Excel, HTML or CSV files to convert as well as PDFs
- You want to convert several PDFs at once
- You want simple tables turned into pipe tables before pasting into ChatGPT, Claude or a RAG pipeline
- You want a tool that is still being developed
Choose pdf2md If:
- You only ever convert PDFs
- You prefer pdf2md's heading guesses on a particular document, or need italic and code blocks kept
- You want to read or self-host the open-source code
Switching Between Them
There is nothing to migrate. Both are drop-a-file tools. Go to craftmarkdown.com/pdf-to-markdown, drop your PDF, and download the .md file. Both tools guess headings from font size, so on a document that matters compare the two outputs and keep the better one; if you prefer pdf2md's output for a particular document, use pdf2md for that one.
Verdict: Which Is Better?
For most people, Craft Markdown, because it also builds simple tables, handles the rest of your documents, converts in batches, and is maintained. For a single PDF, pdf2md is still a good tool and we are happy to say so; its heading heuristic sometimes suits a particular document better. Both keep your file private, so pick on output and workflow rather than fear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Craft Markdown really free?
Yes, completely free with no limits. No signup, no premium tier, no usage caps. Convert as many documents as you want, in any supported format.
Is pdf2md safe to use?
Yes. pdf2md converts the PDF in your browser with PDF.js and does not upload it, and its code is open source. Both tools are safe for confidential documents.
Which produces better markdown output?
It depends on the PDF. Both guess headings from font sizes, which helps on clean reports and hurts on unusual layouts. Both also pick up lists and bold and drop repeating headers and footers. Craft Markdown turns simple aligned tables into pipe tables; pdf2md keeps italic and code blocks. Complex tables come out as text in both.
Can I use Craft Markdown offline?
The page and its converter code need to load from the internet first. After that the conversion runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. We do not advertise it as an offline tool.
Which is faster?
Both convert most PDFs in a second or two, since both run PDF.js on your machine. The difference is negligible.
Does Craft Markdown support batch conversion?
Yes. Drop several files at once; each is converted independently and you can download them together as a ZIP. For automated conversion of hundreds of files, a command-line tool such as MarkItDown or Docling is more practical.