MDX vs react-markdown
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A format for writing Markdown documents that can embed live JSX components.
Open source · MIT
A React component that renders Markdown text as React elements, without raw HTML injection.
The short answer
Choose MDX if you need…
- Developers building documentation or content sites in React, Preact, or Vue
- Teams that want interactive components inside long-form written content
- Projects that already use webpack, Rollup, or similar bundlers
- People who are comfortable with JavaScript and JSX syntax
Choose react-markdown if you need…
- React developers who need to display Markdown content such as comments, docs, or posts
- Beginners who want safe Markdown rendering without writing HTML parsing code
- Projects that want to replace rendered tags like h2 with custom React components
- Teams that need GitHub Flavored Markdown tables, task lists, or strikethrough via a plugin
Side-by-side
| MDX | react-markdown | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 19.8k | 15.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 7 days ago | 33 days ago |
What each one is
MDX
MDX is a file format that lets you write JSX components inside Markdown documents, such as importing an interactive chart or alert and placing it within your text. The repository contains several packages that compile MDX into JavaScript, integrate with bundlers like webpack and Rollup, and work with frameworks such as React, Preact, and Vue. It is used for long-form content that needs components.
react-markdown
react-markdown is a React component you give a string of Markdown, and it turns that text into React elements on the page. It avoids dangerouslySetInnerHTML, so it is designed to be safe by default against XSS. You can add plugins to change how Markdown is processed and swap normal HTML tags for your own React components.
Best for
MDX
- Developers building documentation or content sites in React, Preact, or Vue
- Teams that want interactive components inside long-form written content
- Projects that already use webpack, Rollup, or similar bundlers
- People who are comfortable with JavaScript and JSX syntax
react-markdown
- React developers who need to display Markdown content such as comments, docs, or posts
- Beginners who want safe Markdown rendering without writing HTML parsing code
- Projects that want to replace rendered tags like h2 with custom React components
- Teams that need GitHub Flavored Markdown tables, task lists, or strikethrough via a plugin
Strengths
MDX
- Lets you combine Markdown writing with reusable components
- Works with several bundlers and frameworks according to the README
- Open source under the MIT license with an active project and public documentation
react-markdown
- Safe by default, with no dangerouslySetInnerHTML needed according to the README
- Lets you replace rendered elements with custom React components
- Supports plugins from the unified ecosystem such as remark-gfm
Not ideal for
MDX
- Writers who only need plain Markdown, since MDX adds JSX syntax that plain Markdown renderers will not understand
- Non-developers without JavaScript experience, because setup requires build tooling
- Projects not using a JavaScript-based framework, as the README focuses on React, Preact, and Vue
react-markdown
- People who want JavaScript or JSX embedded inside Markdown files; the README points to MDX for that
- Developers who already know unified well and want a hooks-based alternative; the README points to react-remark or rehype-react
- Projects that are not using React
Trade-offs
MDX
- Requires JavaScript build tooling to use in a project
- Content mixing JSX and Markdown can be harder to read and maintain than plain Markdown
- The README is brief on specifics, so details must be found in the linked documentation
react-markdown
- The package is ESM only, which may need configuration in older build setups
- Async plugins need MarkdownAsync or MarkdownHooks rather than the basic synchronous component
- Full GFM support requires adding a separate plugin
Getting started
react-markdown
Install with npm
npm install react-markdownFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between MDX and react-markdown?
MDX: A format for writing Markdown documents that can embed live JSX components. react-markdown: A React component that renders Markdown text as React elements, without raw HTML injection. MDX suits developers building documentation or content sites in react, preact, or vue, while react-markdown suits react developers who need to display markdown content such as comments, docs, or posts.
Are MDX and react-markdown free?
MDX: Free and open source. react-markdown: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, MDX or react-markdown?
react-markdown is easier to get started with (rated beginner); MDX is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is MDX or react-markdown more popular?
MDX has more GitHub stars (19.8k) than react-markdown (15.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to MDX and react-markdown?
Other options people compare them with include Vditor, Preact, Inferno, Tiptap, AutoAnimate.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.