Seamless WYSIWYG markdown editing for VS Code — Write markdown the way humans think.
| Feature | Markdown for Humans | Markdown All in One | Standard Editors |
|---|---|---|---|
| WYSIWYG Editing | ✅ Full-screen, no split pane | ❌ Split pane only | ❌ Plain text |
| Visual Table Editor | ✅ Drag, resize, edit cells | ❌ Manual syntax | |
| Image Management | ✅ Rename, resize inline | ❌ Manual file ops | ❌ Manual file ops |
| Mermaid Diagrams | ✅ Live rendering | ✅ Preview only | ❌ Not supported |
| Distraction-Free | ✅ Full-screen mode | ❌ No focus mode | ❌ No focus mode |
📌 Note: 100% free. No trials. No limits. No paywalls, ever.
Markdown for Humans is built on a simple belief: writing should feel natural, not technical. You shouldn't need to memorize syntax, dig through command palettes, or fight with your tools. You should just write.
We bring true WYSIWYG editing directly into VS Code with a human-first design philosophy:
- Persistent formatting bar — See your options, click what you need. No hunting through menus.
- Floating shortcuts — Actions appear where you need them, when you need them, i.e. on Tables (right click), Images (More icon)
- No command palette overload — We keep actions visible and accessible, not buried in
/commandsor keyboard shortcuts you'll forget. - No context switching — Everything you need is right there. Focus on your content, not syntax.
Existing markdown editors force writers to choose between:
- Split-pane previews that waste screen space and break your flow
- Plain text editing that requires memorizing syntax and breaks your concentration
- Standalone apps that don't integrate with your workflow
- Command-heavy interfaces that bury actions in overloaded palettes, requiring too much typing and mental overhead
- Images: Handling resolution, in-place resizing, size optimisation for large images, workspace directory storage and much more.
Choose your IDE below for installation instructions:
VS Code
Option 1: Via Marketplace (Recommended)
- Visit VS Code Marketplace
- Click "Install"
Option 2: Within VS Code
- Open Extensions (
Ctrl+Shift+X/Cmd+Shift+X) - Search for "Markdown for Humans" or use the extension ID:
concretio.markdown-for-humans - Click Install
Cursor / Windsurf / VSCodium / Other Open VSX IDEs
Via Open VSX Registry:
- Open Extensions panel
- Search for "Markdown for Humans" or use the extension ID:
concretio.markdown-for-humans - Install (automatically pulls from Open VSX Registry)
Direct Link: Open VSX Registry
Supported IDEs:
- Cursor
- Windsurf
- VSCodium
- Gitpod
- Eclipse Theia
- Other Open VSX-compatible IDEs
💡 Pro Tip: For precise results, search using the extension ID
concretio.markdown-for-humansin the Extensions panel of any IDE.
- Open any
.mdfile → Right-click → "Open with Markdown for Humans" - Start writing!
Toggle between WYSIWYG and source: Click the </> Source button in the toolbar
See rendered output as you type, no preview pane needed. Focus on your content, not syntax.
Drag column borders to resize, use the toolbar dropdown to add/remove rows and columns, right-click for quick actions.
Create flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts, and more with 15 built-in templates.
It asks a local folder in workspace to save the same, to keep your MD assets organised.
Just drag images into your document. Resize with handles, view metadata overlay.
Markdown for Humans includes everything you need for a modern writing experience:
- True WYSIWYG editing powered by TipTap—see your formatted output as you type
- Advanced table editing with drag-to-resize columns, context menus, and toolbar controls
- Mermaid diagrams with 15 built-in templates and double-click editing
- Code blocks with syntax highlighting for 11+ languages
- Math support with beautiful LaTeX rendering via KaTeX
- PDF and DOCX export for sharing your documents
- Document outline with sidebar navigation for quick heading access
- Theme support for Light, Dark, and System themes (inherits your VS Code theme)
- Word count and reading time to track your writing progress
- User Guide
- Known Issues - Known issues and workarounds
- Report Issues
- Contributing - Developer setup and guidelines
- Architecture - Technical deep dive
- Development Guide - Philosophy and roadmap
- Build Guide - Build and packaging
- Troubleshooting - Technical troubleshooting
- Release Checklist - Release process
- QA Manual - Testing procedures
⚡ Built on open source, for the community.
Markdown for Humans exists because open source software empowers everyone. We believe that the best tools should be built, improved, and maintained by the whole community—not limited by a few. By embracing collaboration and transparency, we keep innovation moving forward for everyone.
We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Ways to contribute:
- Report bugs
- Suggest features
- Improve documentation
- Submit pull requests
- Star the repo
This extension was built through AI / vibe coding, with minimal human effort focused on fixes and stability. The basic functional model came together in minutes, but what took days and hours was testing each feature to ensure everything works smoothly in real-world use.
It's the classic 80:20 rule in action: that final 20% of polish, edge cases, and real-world testing takes 80% of the time, and that's where the real value lives.
We're open-sourcing this because in AI era, code has limited value, the real work was in the creativity in planning, design, and relentless testing.
Countless hours went into vibe-coded wireframes, user experience design, and polish to create something that feels natural and intuitive.
MIT © Concret.io
Built with:
- TipTap - Headless editor framework
- KaTeX - Fast math rendering
- Mermaid - Diagram generation
- VS Code Extension API
Made with ❤️ for Markdown lovers, by Team Concret.io