The short answer
For short notes with headings, lists, links and a table, Notepad is already there and does the job. For documents with code, math, diagrams or footnotes, or anything long enough to need a contents list, open it in MarkdownPaper.
Where Notepad is the better choice
- It is already installed. Nothing to download, nothing to buy, and it opens instantly.
- Writing and reading in one place. A formatting toolbar, a formatted view as you type, and a toggle in the status bar or the View menu to see the Markdown source. MarkdownPaper's editor is for fixing a document, not for keeping notes in.
- Everything else you use Notepad for. It is a text editor first, with
tabs and spell check, for every
.txtand configuration file as well as Markdown. - AI writing tools. Write, Rewrite and Summarize are built in, with a Microsoft account. MarkdownPaper has no AI features.
Where MarkdownPaper is the better choice
- The rest of Markdown. Microsoft's announcements for Notepad list headings, bold, italic, strikethrough, links, lists and tables, and do not mention code blocks, math, diagrams or footnotes. MarkdownPaper renders all of GitHub Flavored Markdown, with code highlighted per language, KaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams, footnotes and task lists.
- A page for reading. Text is set to a measure counted in characters, 74 by default, in a serif made for reading, on white, cream or dark paper. Drag either edge of the page to change the width.
- Long documents. The contents sit in the page margin, so a long spec or plan can be read section by section, and the few controls fade out while you read.
- Handing it on. Print gives real page margins for a PDF, a saved HTML file carries its own fonts, and a rendered page copies into Google Docs with its tables intact.
- Files that change. The MarkdownPaper desktop app follows a file as another program rewrites it, which suits a plan a coding agent keeps updating.
- The same reader everywhere. The desktop app runs on Windows and the Mac, and the web reader runs in any browser, so a document looks the same to a colleague on another system.
Side by side
| Notepad | MarkdownPaper | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Plain text, with light formatting | Reading the finished page |
| Where it runs | Windows 11, built in | Any browser, or a Windows and Mac app |
| Markdown it formats | Headings, emphasis, strikethrough, links, lists, tables | All of GitHub Flavored Markdown |
| Code, math, diagrams | Not in Microsoft's announcements | Highlighted code, KaTeX, Mermaid |
| Editing | Formatted view, toolbar and source toggle | A focused editor for quick fixes |
| AI tools | Write, Rewrite, Summarize, with an account | None |
| Print and PDF | Print with page margins |
Which version of Notepad you have matters
Notepad's Markdown support has arrived through Windows Insider releases, a
piece at a time, and reaches everyone else later. Tables came in version
11.2510.6.0, strikethrough and nested lists in 11.2512.10.0, and version
11.2606.15.0, in July 2026, fixed formatting for .md and .markdown files.
If a file does not look the way this page describes, check Notepad's version
in its settings, under About.
Price
Notepad comes with Windows 11 at no cost. Its AI tools need a Microsoft account.
The MarkdownPaper desktop app: Coming soon to the Mac App Store and the Microsoft Store. $6.99 launch price, paid once, with no subscription. About the desktop app.
The MarkdownPaper web reader is free, with no account and no limits.
Using both
Keep Notepad for quick notes and plain text. When a Markdown document has code, diagrams or real length, or is going to someone else, open it in MarkdownPaper instead. If you want a full Markdown editor on Windows rather than a reader, the Typora comparison covers one.
Questions
Can Windows Notepad open Markdown files?
Yes. A recent version of Notepad on Windows 11 shows a .md file with its
headings, emphasis, links, lists and tables formatted, and a toggle shows the
source. The open a .md file guide covers the other ways to
open one on Windows.
How do I make .md files open in Notepad, or in MarkdownPaper, by default?
Right click a .md file, choose Open with, then Choose another app, pick the
app, and tick Always use this app to open .md files. Until you have done
this once, .md may not appear in Settings under Default apps at all. The
same steps make the MarkdownPaper desktop app the default.
How do I see the Markdown source in Notepad?
Use the toggle in the status bar at the bottom of the window, or switch between the formatted and syntax views in the View menu.
Does Notepad show code blocks and Mermaid diagrams?
Microsoft's announcements do not list either, so treat them as unsupported unless your version shows otherwise. MarkdownPaper highlights code per language and draws Mermaid diagrams, on Windows, on the Mac and in the browser.