Python tool for converting files and office documents to Markdown.
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcemarkitdown is markitdown is an open-source project written in Python: Python tool for converting files and office documents to Markdown.. It provides a free, self-hosted open-source alternative to OpenAI API & ChatGPT.
“According to real-time open source telemetry recorded on GitHubRepo.cloud (as of November 2026), microsoft/markitdown has accumulated 193,407 GitHub stars and 14,498 forks. It is written in Python, licensed under MIT, and ranks #29 globally. It is actively maintained with the latest commit recorded on Oct 28, 2026.”
| Repository | microsoft/markitdown ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | autogen |
| Language & Stack | Python |
| Software License | MIT |
| Community Traction | ★ 193.4K stars · ⑂ 14.5K forks · #29 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Oct 28, 2026) · 782 open issues |
| Replaces SaaS | Open Source OpenAI API & ChatGPT Alternative (Pay-per-token pricing with zero private data guarantees) → |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with Python, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
🛡️ Repository Maintenance & Health Audit (2026)
Health Score: 90/100 · Grade AYes, markitdown is actively maintained. Continuous telemetry recorded the last code commit on Oct 28, 2026 (16 days ago). Supported by 193,407 stars and 14,498 community forks, this repository holds a calculated health index of 90/100, reflecting regular maintenance (16 days ago) and active community feedback (782 open).
Star History
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+5.5K
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
183
PER DAY
#7
MOST-STARRED Python
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +0 | +5.5K | +16.5K |
| Per day | 1 | 183 | 183 |
| Forks gained | +0 | +592 | +725 |
markitdown gained 5.5K stars in the last 30 days, about 183 a day, and now has 193.4K. It is about 2 years old and has averaged roughly 96.7K stars a year. It ranks #7 among Python repositories and #29 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
46
DAYS ON TRENDING
#26
BEST RANK
Sep 23, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
markitdown has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #26. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
markitdown is an open-source project written in Python: Python tool for converting files and office documents to Markdown.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in autogen, autogen-extension, langchain. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in Python for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ pip install markitdown⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
Python >= 3.9, pip, virtualenv
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
markitdown coordinates its core functionality through a modular Python pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Autonomous AI Agents
Orchestrate intelligent workflows and tool-calling routines with markitdown.
Model Inference & Prompting
Integrate fast, local or cloud-hosted generative AI models directly into production code.
Context Memory & RAG
Augment language models with dynamic vector retrieval and structured project memory.
Developer Productivity
Automate repetitive engineering tasks, code generation, and test creation using AI agents.
🚀 Getting Started
Install markitdown using your package manager: `pip install markitdown`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for markitdown.
Import markitdown into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `markitdown --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with Python, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
microsoft/markitdown is currently ranked #29 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #24 | trekhleb/javascript-algorithms | JavaScript | ★ 196.7K | Compare ↗ |
| #25 | firecrawl/firecrawl | TypeScript | ★ 196.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #26 | microsoft/vscode | TypeScript | ★ 195.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #27 | ultraworkers/claw-code | Rust | ★ 194.8K | Compare ↗ |
| #28 | avelino/awesome-go | Go | ★ 193.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #29 | microsoft/markitdown This Project | Python | ★ 193.4K | |
| #30 | ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh | Shell | ★ 190.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #31 | ollama/ollama | Go | ★ 186.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #32 | DietrichGebert/ponytail | JavaScript | ★ 181.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #33 | flutter/flutter | Dart | ★ 181K | Compare ↗ |
| #34 | github/gitignore | — | ★ 176.1K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does markitdown do? +
Python tool for converting files and office documents to Markdown.
Is markitdown actively maintained in 2026? +
Yes, markitdown is actively maintained. The latest code push was recorded on Oct 28, 2026 (16 days ago). It holds a calculated Maintenance Health Score of 90/100 (A rating) with 193,407 stars and 782 open issues.
What language is markitdown written in? +
The primary language is Python. Topics include: autogen, autogen-extension, langchain, markdown, microsoft-office.
How many stars does markitdown have? +
markitdown has 193,407 stars and 14,498 forks on GitHub.
How does markitdown rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 193,407 stars, microsoft/markitdown is ranked #29 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #7 among Python projects.
What license is markitdown distributed under? +
The repository reports a MIT license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
