1. Visual Studio Code (VS Code):
    • Why It’s Good: It’s a powerful, free, open-source editor with excellent Markdown support, including a live preview feature, extensions for enhanced Markdown functionality, and integrated Git control for versioning.
    • Best For: Developers or those comfortable with a more code-centric interface.
  2. Typora:
    • Why It’s Good: Typora offers a seamless live preview feature, where you write Markdown syntax but immediately see it rendered. It’s minimalistic and distraction-free.
    • Best For: Users who want a clean, WYSIWYG-like interface.
  3. Joplin:
    • Why It’s Good: Joplin is an open-source note-taking app that supports Markdown. It’s great for organizing TIL notes with notebooks, tags, and even to-do lists. It also supports synchronization with various cloud services.
    • Best For: Individuals who want a note-taking application with organizational features and sync capability.
  4. Obsidian:
    • Why It’s Good: Obsidian is ideal for building a knowledge base. It treats your notes like a connected graph, making it fantastic for linking concepts and ideas. Markdown support is robust.
    • Best For: Those who like to interlink their notes and see the connections between different TIL entries.
  5. Notion:
    • Why It’s Good: Notion isn’t a dedicated Markdown editor, but it supports Markdown shortcuts and can import/export Markdown files. It’s very versatile for organizing notes, projects, and databases.
    • Best For: Users looking for an all-in-one workspace with Markdown support.
  6. Dillinger:
    • Why It’s Good: Dillinger is a cloud-enabled, mobile-ready, offline-storage-compatible Markdown editor. It’s a browser-based option, so there’s nothing to install.
    • Best For: Those who prefer working directly in a web browser.
  7. iA Writer:
    • Why It’s Good: Known for its focus mode and clean interface, iA Writer provides a distraction-free writing experience. It supports Markdown and offers seamless sync across devices.
    • Best For: Writers who prefer a minimalist and focused environment.
  8. HackMD:
    • Why It’s Good: Great for collaborative Markdown editing. You can work with others in real-time, making it excellent for team TIL documentation.
    • Best For: Teams or groups collaborating on Markdown documents.

Each tool has its unique strengths, so the “best” choice depends on your specific needs, such as whether you prioritize a distraction-free writing environment, organizational features, collaborative capabilities, or technical integrations.

The term “TIL” often stands for “Today I Learned,” and it’s commonly used in contexts where people share new pieces of knowledge or information they’ve acquired. If you’re looking for the best tools for writing or managing Markdown-formatted TIL (Today I Learned) notes or documents, here are some options, each offering unique features that might suit different needs:

  1. Visual Studio Code (VS Code):
    • Why It’s Good: It’s a powerful, free, open-source editor with excellent Markdown support, including a live preview feature, extensions for enhanced Markdown functionality, and integrated Git control for versioning.
    • Best For: Developers or those comfortable with a more code-centric interface.
  2. Typora:
    • Why It’s Good: Typora offers a seamless live preview feature, where you write Markdown syntax but immediately see it rendered. It’s minimalistic and distraction-free.
    • Best For: Users who want a clean, WYSIWYG-like interface.
  3. Joplin:
    • Why It’s Good: Joplin is an open-source note-taking app that supports Markdown. It’s great for organizing TIL notes with notebooks, tags, and even to-do lists. It also supports synchronization with various cloud services.
    • Best For: Individuals who want a note-taking application with organizational features and sync capability.
  4. Obsidian:
    • Why It’s Good: Obsidian is ideal for building a knowledge base. It treats your notes like a connected graph, making it fantastic for linking concepts and ideas. Markdown support is robust.
    • Best For: Those who like to interlink their notes and see the connections between different TIL entries.
  5. Notion:
    • Why It’s Good: Notion isn’t a dedicated Markdown editor, but it supports Markdown shortcuts and can import/export Markdown files. It’s very versatile for organizing notes, projects, and databases.
    • Best For: Users looking for an all-in-one workspace with Markdown support.
  6. Dillinger:
    • Why It’s Good: Dillinger is a cloud-enabled, mobile-ready, offline-storage-compatible Markdown editor. It’s a browser-based option, so there’s nothing to install.
    • Best For: Those who prefer working directly in a web browser.
  7. iA Writer:
    • Why It’s Good: Known for its focus mode and clean interface, iA Writer provides a distraction-free writing experience. It supports Markdown and offers seamless sync across devices.
    • Best For: Writers who prefer a minimalist and focused environment.
  8. HackMD:
    • Why It’s Good: Great for collaborative Markdown editing. You can work with others in real-time, making it excellent for team TIL documentation.
    • Best For: Teams or groups collaborating on Markdown documents.

Each tool has its unique strengths, so the “best” choice depends on your specific needs, such as whether you prioritize a distraction-free writing environment, organizational features, collaborative capabilities, or technical integrations.

For a free, open-source Markdown wiki that can be hosted on GitHub, the most fitting choices are tools that specifically cater to documentation and knowledge base creation, leveraging GitHub’s infrastructure for hosting and version control. Here are a few notable options:

  1. MkDocs with GitHub Pages:
    • About: MkDocs is a static site generator that’s built specifically for creating project documentation. It uses Markdown for content creation.
    • GitHub Integration: You can easily deploy your MkDocs site on GitHub Pages, making it accessible as a web-based wiki.
    • Key Features: Simple setup, clean design, customizable themes, and a built-in search engine.
    • Best For: Users looking for a straightforward, easy-to-maintain documentation site.
  2. Docusaurus with GitHub Pages:
    • About: Docusaurus is a modern static website generator designed for building documentation websites. It supports Markdown and includes blog features.
    • GitHub Integration: Docusaurus can be seamlessly integrated with GitHub Pages for hosting.
    • Key Features: Versioning, localization, powerful search functionality, and React-based customization.
    • Best For: Teams that require advanced features like document versioning and localization.
  3. Jekyll with GitHub Pages:
    • About: Jekyll is a popular static site generator. It’s deeply integrated with GitHub and supports Markdown content.
    • GitHub Integration: Jekyll sites can be hosted directly on GitHub Pages, providing a hassle-free hosting solution.
    • Key Features: Extensive theme support, blog capabilities, and a large user community.
    • Best For: Users who want a blog-like wiki with customization flexibility.
  4. Wiki.js (Self-Hosted but Can Sync with GitHub):
    • About: Wiki.js is a modern wiki software that runs on Node.js. It’s open-source and supports Markdown natively.
    • GitHub Integration: While you need to self-host it (e.g., on a server or a cloud platform), it can synchronize its content with a GitHub repository.
    • Key Features: A sleek interface, robust search engine, and various modules for different types of content.
    • Best For: Teams needing a full-fledged wiki system with the option to sync with GitHub.
  5. Gollum with GitHub:
    • About: Gollum is the wiki software that powers GitHub’s own wiki feature. It’s a simple and straightforward solution that directly integrates with GitHub repositories.
    • GitHub Integration: Gollum wikis can be seamlessly linked with GitHub repositories, as it underpins GitHub Wikis.
    • Key Features: Markdown support, compatibility with various markup languages, and simple wiki functionality.
    • Best For: Users who want a basic wiki closely tied to their GitHub projects.

Each of these tools provides a different approach to creating and managing a Markdown-based wiki. The choice depends on your specific needs, such as the complexity of your wiki, desired features, and the level of integration you want with GitHub. MkDocs and Docusaurus are particularly popular for their ease of use and rich feature sets.

When it comes to Markdown-based wikis, the “best” option largely depends on your specific needs, such as collaboration features, ease of use, integration capabilities, and customization. Here are some of the top Markdown wiki tools, each excelling in different areas:

  1. DokuWiki:
    • Highlights: DokuWiki is a simple, versatile, and highly customizable wiki platform. It doesn’t require a database and stores data in plain text files, which can include Markdown.
    • Best For: Teams looking for a lightweight, easy-to-set-up wiki without the need for a database.
  2. BookStack:
    • Highlights: BookStack is a free and open-source wiki software that is easy to use and organize. It allows Markdown editing along with rich text. It’s particularly good for creating structured and searchable content.
    • Best For: Users who prefer a balance between structured organization and ease of use.
  3. TiddlyWiki:
    • Highlights: TiddlyWiki is a unique, highly flexible single HTML file wiki. It can be customized to support Markdown. It’s known for its non-linear note-taking capability.
    • Best For: Individuals seeking a highly portable and customizable personal wiki.
  4. GitBook:
    • Highlights: Originally designed for technical documentation, GitBook is now a broader content platform that supports Markdown. It offers a sleek interface and good collaboration features, with GitHub sync options.
    • Best For: Teams, especially in tech, that need strong version control and collaboration features.
  5. MediaWiki with Markdown Extension:
    • Highlights: MediaWiki, the software behind Wikipedia, can be extended with Markdown support. It’s incredibly robust and customizable, ideal for large-scale wikis.
    • Best For: Large organizations or communities looking for a comprehensive, scalable wiki solution.
  6. Wiki.js:
    • Highlights: Wiki.js is a modern, open-source wiki app built on Node.js. It offers native Markdown support, and it’s designed to be powerful yet approachable.
    • Best For: Teams that want a modern wiki with a sleek user interface and Markdown support.
  7. MkDocs:
    • Highlights: MkDocs is a static site generator that’s geared towards project documentation, using Markdown files to create the site. It’s simple and quick to set up.
    • Best For: Users who want to generate a static, fast, and searchable wiki-like documentation site.
  8. Obsidian (for Personal Use):
    • Highlights: While primarily a note-taking app, Obsidian can be used as a personal wiki with Markdown files. It excels in linking thoughts and building a knowledge base.
    • Best For: Individuals seeking a personal knowledge management system with a strong emphasis on linking ideas.

Each of these tools has distinct features and excels in different scenarios, from personal use to large-scale organizational wikis. Your choice will depend on factors like the scale of your project, the need for collaboration, the desired level of customization, and whether you prefer a hosted solution or self-hosting.

From ChatGPT