Markdown-it vs Marked

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

markdown-it

Extremely Popular

Version 14.1.1

85
Excellent

Markdown-it - modern pluggable markdown parser.

Weekly Downloads
17.7M
↑43%
Bundle (gzip)
43.3 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

marked

Extremely Popular

Version 17.0.3

85
Excellent

A markdown parser built for speed

Weekly Downloads
29.2M
↑45%
Bundle (gzip)
11.9 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Markdown-it and Marked? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Marked leads with 29.2M weekly downloads — roughly 1.7x more. Markdown-it has 17.7M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Marked has the smallest gzipped bundle at 11.9 KB. Markdown-it comes in at 43.3 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Markdown-it has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Marked has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Markdown-it if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Marked if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Markdown-it and Marked are solid choices for JavaScript development. Markdown-it has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is markdown-it better than marked?
It depends on your needs. Markdown-it has a health score of 85/100 while Marked scores 85/100. Marked has more weekly downloads (29.2M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, markdown-it or marked?
Marked has the smaller gzipped bundle at 11.9 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use markdown-it vs marked?
Based on npm download statistics, Markdown-it has approximately 17.7M weekly downloads and Marked has approximately 29.2M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, markdown-it or marked?
Markdown-it currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Markdown-it has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Marked scores 100/100 on maintenance.