Pandoc
Pandoc is a free command-line tool and Haskell library for converting documents between markup and word-processing formats.
What Pandoc is
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.
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
Watch out
- 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
Who it suits
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.
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.
Plans and prices
From Pandoc's own pricing page, checked 30 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Pandoc | Free | Free software released under the GPL |
The facts
Each one read from Pandoc's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Citations
- Pandoc can format citations and generate bibliographies using hundreds of CSL styles.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Conversion fidelity
- Conversions from formats more expressive than Pandoc’s Markdown may be lossy, and complex tables may not fit its document model.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Custom processing
- Users can customize output with templates and write filters or custom readers and writers in Lua.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Document structure
- Pandoc uses readers to parse documents into an abstract syntax tree and writers to convert that representation to a target format.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Format support
- Supported formats include Markdown, HTML, LaTeX, Word DOCX, EPUB, Jupyter notebooks, and many others.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Installation options
- The maker provides installers or binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and documents package-manager and source installation options.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Limitation
- The maker-provided statically linked binaries cannot use Lua filters that rely on Lua modules written in C.checked 30 Sep 2026
- PDF output
- Pandoc creates PDFs using LaTeX by default and supports specifying other PDF engines.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Pandoc is a command-line tool and Haskell library for converting documents between markup and word-processing formats.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Security
- The official Linux executable is statically linked and has no dynamic dependencies or dependencies on external data files.checked 30 Sep 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.checked 30 Sep 2026
- User interface
- Pandoc is a command-line tool and has no graphical user interface.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Workflow integrations
- Pandoc can run through GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD, and official Docker images are available.checked 30 Sep 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2006checked 28 Sep 2026
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