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 documents into an abstract syntax tree, which writers then convert to a target format. Templates and Lua filters let users customize output, and users can create custom readers and writers in Lua. Pandoc can format citations and produce bibliographies using hundreds of CSL styles. It creates PDFs with LaTeX by default, with other PDF engines available by configuration. Installers or binaries are provided for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and package-manager and source installation options are documented. It can run through GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD, and official Docker images are available. Pandoc has no graphical interface. Conversions from more expressive formats can lose information, and complex tables may not fit its document model. The maker-provided statically linked Linux executable cannot use Lua filters that depend on Lua modules written in C.
Who it is for
Pandoc suits people comfortable with command-line tools who need document conversion or customizable processing. Its guides can help newcomers get started, while its user guide provides more detailed instructions.
What is good
- Free software released under the GPL.
- Supports many markup and word-processing formats.
- Lua filters and templates can customize output.
- Can generate bibliographies with hundreds of CSL styles.
- Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What to know first
- It has no graphical user interface.
- Conversions from more expressive formats may lose information.
- Complex tables may not fit its document model.
- Static Linux binaries cannot use Lua filters relying on C modules.
Verdict
Pandoc provides broad format conversion and customization for command-line workflows. Its lack of a graphical interface and the possibility of lossy conversions are important considerations.
Pandoc plans and pricing
All plansCompared on file conversion software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Batch conversion
- Yes
- Cloud conversion
- No
- API access
- Yes
- Deployment
- both
