Markdown vs reStructuredText: Which Should You Use?

Markdown and reStructuredText (RST) are both lightweight markup languages for writing documentation. Markdown is simpler and more widely adopted across platforms like GitHub, Obsidian, and Reddit. reStructuredText is more powerful and is the standard for Python documentation through Sphinx. This comparison covers syntax differences, ecosystem support, and when to choose each format.

What Is the Difference Between Markdown and RST?

Markdown prioritizes simplicity. It was created in 2004 by John Gruber as a way to write web content that reads naturally as plain text. The syntax is minimal: # for headings, ** for bold, - for lists.

reStructuredText (RST) prioritizes extensibility. It was created in 2001 as part of the Python Docutils project. RST has built-in support for cross-references, footnotes, citations, tables of contents, admonitions, and custom directives. The syntax is more verbose but more expressive.

The core tradeoff: Markdown is easier to learn and write. RST is more capable for complex documentation projects.

Syntax Comparison

Headings

Markdown:

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

RST:

Heading 1
=========

Heading 2
---------

Heading 3
^^^^^^^^^

Markdown uses # symbols (1 to 6 levels). RST uses underlines with different characters. RST heading levels are determined by the order of appearance, not by the character used. Most RST projects adopt a convention like = for H1, - for H2, ^ for H3.

Bold and Italic

Markdown:

**bold** and *italic*

RST:

**bold** and *italic*

Identical syntax for basic text formatting.

Links

Markdown:

[Link text](https://example.com)

RST:

`Link text <https://example.com>`_

Markdown links are more intuitive. RST links use backticks and an underscore suffix, which is harder to remember.

Code Blocks

Markdown:

```python
print("hello")
```

RST:

.. code-block:: python

   print("hello")

Markdown uses fenced code blocks (triple backticks). RST uses a directive with indented content. RST's approach is more verbose but supports more options (line numbers, highlighting specific lines, captions).

Tables

Markdown:

| Name | Age |
|------|-----|
| Alice | 30 |

RST (simple table):

=====  ===
Name   Age
=====  ===
Alice  30
=====  ===

RST (grid table):

+-------+-----+
| Name  | Age |
+=======+=====+
| Alice | 30  |
+-------+-----+

Markdown tables are easier to write. RST offers two table formats: simple (minimal) and grid (supports merged cells, multi-line cells). RST tables are more powerful but harder to maintain by hand.

Feature Comparison

When Should You Use Markdown?

Choose markdown when you are writing GitHub README files, blog posts, or general web content. Markdown is the right choice for teams where not everyone is technical, when you need broad platform support (GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Slack, Discord), for note-taking in Obsidian or similar tools, and for content that needs to convert to HTML, PDF, or DOCX.

Markdown's ecosystem is enormous. There are hundreds of editors, converters, and integrations. Our markdown editor supports live preview, export to PDF, HTML, and DOCX, and works in any browser.

The CommonMark specification (version 0.31) standardizes the core syntax. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) adds tables, task lists, strikethrough, and footnotes. These extensions cover most documentation needs.

When Should You Use reStructuredText?

Choose RST when you are building Python library documentation with Sphinx. RST is the right choice when you need cross-references between pages and sections, automatic API documentation from docstrings (autodoc), complex table layouts with merged cells, custom directives for domain-specific content, and built-in table of contents and index generation.

Sphinx, the documentation generator built on RST, powers docs for Python, Linux kernel, Django, Flask, SQLAlchemy, and hundreds of other major projects. If your project lives in the Python ecosystem and needs API docs, Sphinx with RST is the standard.

RST also works with ReadTheDocs, the most popular documentation hosting platform for open-source projects. While ReadTheDocs now supports Markdown via MyST (a Markdown superset for Sphinx), RST remains the default and most mature option.

Can You Use Markdown with Sphinx?

Yes. The MyST (Markedly Structured Text) parser lets you write Markdown files that work with Sphinx. MyST adds RST-like features (cross-references, directives, roles) to Markdown syntax:

:::{note}
This is an admonition written in MyST Markdown.
:::

{ref}`Cross-reference to another page <target-label>`

MyST is a good compromise if your team prefers Markdown but needs Sphinx features. The tradeoff is that MyST syntax is not standard Markdown and will not render correctly on GitHub or other platforms without the MyST parser.

Migration Between Formats

Pandoc converts between Markdown and RST in both directions:

Markdown to RST:

pandoc input.md -f markdown -t rst -o output.rst

RST to Markdown:

pandoc input.rst -f rst -t gfm -o output.md

Conversions handle most content correctly. Cross-references and custom directives in RST may need manual adjustment after converting to Markdown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

Markdown and reStructuredText serve different needs. Markdown wins for simplicity, broad platform support, and ease of learning. RST wins for complex documentation with cross-references, API autodoc, and custom directives. Most developers use Markdown daily and only reach for RST when building Sphinx documentation. MyST bridges the gap by bringing Sphinx features to Markdown syntax. Start writing markdown in our online editor or check the markdown cheat sheet for a complete syntax reference. For a related comparison, see Markdown vs HTML.

Written by the Markdown Editor Online team. Last updated April 2026.