Pandoc

B
B tier on File Conversion SoftwareScore 7.2 · #4 of 60
Android app
Not listed
Free plan
Yes
Runs on
Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows
pandoc.org
The Pandoc homepage

Summary

Pandoc is a free command-line tool and Haskell library for converting documents between markup and word-processing formats. It supports formats such as Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, Word DOCX, EPUB, and Jupyter notebooks. Readers parse source documents into an abstract syntax tree, and writers convert that representation into a target format. Users can customize output with templates and Lua filters, or write custom readers and writers in Lua. Pandoc can format citations and generate bibliographies using hundreds of CSL styles. For PDF output, it uses LaTeX by default and can be set to use other PDF engines. Installers or binaries are provided for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with package-manager and source installation also documented. It can run through GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD, and official Docker images are available. The Linux executable is statically linked and has no dynamic dependencies or dependencies on external data files. Pandoc has no graphical interface. Conversions from more expressive formats may lose information, and complex tables may not fit its document model.

Who it is for

Pandoc suits people comfortable with command-line tools who need to convert documents across formats or customize conversion workflows. Its guides may help newcomers get started, while its filters and templates offer further control.

What is good

  • Supports many markup and word-processing formats
  • Can create bibliographies with CSL styles
  • Offers templates and Lua customization
  • Runs in CI workflows and official Docker images

What to know first

  • Has no graphical user interface
  • Some conversions may lose information
  • Complex tables may not fit its document model
  • Static binaries cannot use Lua filters relying on C modules

Verdict

Pandoc provides broad format conversion and customization, but it is a command-line tool rather than a graphical editor. Its conversion limits matter for documents with complex tables or richer source formats.

Pandoc plans and pricing

All plans
Pandoc Free Free software released under the GPL pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026

Compared on file conversion software

Free plan
Yespandoc.org
Batch conversion
Yespandoc.org
Cloud conversion
Nopandoc.org
API access
Yespandoc.org
Deployment
bothpandoc.org

Facts

Purpose
Pandoc is a command-line tool and Haskell library for converting documents between markup and word-processing formats.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Format support
Supported formats include Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, Word DOCX, EPUB, Jupyter notebooks, and many others.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Document structure
Pandoc uses readers to parse documents into an abstract syntax tree and writers to convert that representation to a target format.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Custom processing
Users can customize output with templates and write filters or custom readers and writers in Lua.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Citations
Pandoc can format citations and generate bibliographies using hundreds of CSL styles.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
PDF output
Pandoc creates PDFs using LaTeX by default and supports specifying other PDF engines.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Security
The official Linux executable is statically linked and has no dynamic dependencies or dependencies on external data files.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Installation options
The maker provides installers or binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and documents package-manager and source installation options.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Workflow integrations
Pandoc can run through GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD, and official Docker images are available.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Limitation
The maker-provided statically linked binaries cannot use Lua filters that rely on Lua modules written in C.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Conversion fidelity
Conversions from formats more expressive than Pandoc’s Markdown may be lossy, and complex tables may not fit its document model.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
User interface
Pandoc is a command-line tool and has no graphical user interface.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026
Support and onboarding
The site provides a getting-started guide for people unfamiliar with command-line tools and a User’s Guide for detailed use.pandoc.org · 30 Sept 2026

Company

Founded
2006pandoc.org · 28 Sept 2026

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