CleanMD vs Pandoc: which one do you need?
Pandoc converts between markup formats from the command line. CleanMD rebuilds structure from formats that don't have any — PDFs, scans, media — right in your browser. Try it below.
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This is not a takedown — Pandoc is one of the great tools of the document world, and for scripted conversion between markup formats it remains the reference. But “convert to Markdown” covers two very different problems. When the source already carries structure (Word styles, LaTeX sections, HTML tags), Pandoc translates it superbly. When the source is a PDF — positioned text fragments with no semantic structure at all — translation isn't enough: the structure has to be rebuilt from typography. That reconstruction is what CleanMD does, and it's the one job Pandoc explicitly doesn't take on: the Pandoc manual lists PDF as an output format only.
CleanMD vs Pandoc at a glance
| Comparison dimension | CleanMD | Pandoc |
|---|---|---|
| PDF → Markdown | Yes — heading hierarchy, paragraphs, lists and tables rebuilt from the typography | Not supported: the manual lists PDF as an output format only |
| Scanned documents (OCR) | Built in — scans are detected automatically and processed by an EU-based, zero-retention OCR engine | No OCR |
| DOCX, HTML, EPUB → Markdown | DOCX and HTML in the browser, reading Word's real styles | Excellent — plus LaTeX, ODT, RST and dozens of markup formats |
| Audio, video, YouTube | Transcription with timestamps, summary and chapters (Premium) | Not in scope |
| Installation | None — it's a web page | CLI install; LaTeX toolchain needed for PDF output |
| Batch, scripting, CI pipelines | Not offered — one document at a time | Its home turf: scriptable, composable, automatable |
| Custom output (templates, filters) | Opinionated clean Markdown, no templating | Deep template and filter system (Lua filters) |
| Privacy | Documents convert client-side in the browser; scans go to an EU zero-retention API | Fully local, fully offline |
| Price | Free tier (3/day, no signup) · Premium for A/V and volume | Free and open source, unlimited |
Both columns written to be fair — where Pandoc is the better tool, the table says so.
Use Pandoc when…
- →You're converting between markup formats — DOCX, LaTeX, HTML, EPUB, RST — where the structure already exists and just needs translating.
- →You need batch conversion, scripting, or a step in a CI/publishing pipeline.
- →You want custom output: templates, Lua filters, citation processing.
- →Everything must stay offline on your machine.
Use CleanMD when…
- →Your source is a PDF — native or scanned — and you want real H1/H2/H3 hierarchy, not a wall of text.
- →You (or the person you're helping) don't want to install anything or touch a terminal.
- →You need tables to come out as actual Markdown tables, with figures and equations interpreted where they matter.
- →You want to turn a recording, a video or a YouTube URL into structured notes.
The honest verdict
They're different tools more than rivals. Pandoc translates structure that already exists; CleanMD reconstructs structure from formats that never had it. Plenty of people use both: Pandoc in their publishing pipeline, CleanMD when a PDF, a scan or a recording needs to become clean Markdown right now.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pandoc convert a PDF to Markdown?
No. The official Pandoc manual lists PDF as an output format only — Pandoc can produce PDFs (via LaTeX) but cannot read them. The usual workaround is extracting raw text with a tool like pdftotext and converting that, but the extraction loses headings, lists and tables. CleanMD rebuilds that structure from the PDF's typography instead.
Is CleanMD a replacement for Pandoc?
Only for part of what Pandoc does. If your workflow is scripted markup-to-markup conversion — LaTeX to Markdown, DOCX batches in CI — Pandoc is the right tool and CleanMD doesn't try to compete. CleanMD covers the inputs Pandoc doesn't: PDFs, scanned documents, images, audio, video and YouTube.
Which is better for Word (DOCX) files?
Both do a faithful job, because DOCX carries real structure: heading styles map to #/##/###, lists and tables survive. Pandoc offers far more control over the output and is scriptable; CleanMD runs in the browser with no installation and keeps the file on your device. For a one-off conversion the honest answer is: whichever is closer at hand.
Is CleanMD free and open source?
CleanMD has a free tier — 3 conversions a day, no account — and a paid Premium tier for audio, video, YouTube and higher volumes. It is not open source. Documents convert client-side in your browser, and nothing is stored after conversion on any tier.