# Comparison of document markup languages

The following tables compare general and technical information for a number of document markup languages. Please see the individual markup languages' articles for further information.

## General information

Basic general information about the markup languages: creator, version, etc.
| Language | First public release date | Creator | Editor | Viewer |
| AsciiDoc | 2002 | Stuart Rackham | Text editor | Output to XHTML, HTML, DocBook (which can convert to PDF, EPUB, DVI, LaTeX, roff, and PostScript) |
| Computable Document Format | 2010 | Wolfram Research | Wolfram Language & Mathematica | CDF Player; CDF format can also be embedded in web pages viewable with conventional browsers. |
| Creole | 2007 | | Text editor | Output to HTML, RTF, LaTeX, others; renderers for MFC, others. |
| Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) | 2005 | IBM, OASIS | Text/XML editor | Output to HTML, PDF, CHM, javadoc, others. |
| DocBook | 1992 | The Davenport Group, OASIS | XML editor | Output to HTML, PDF, CHM, javadoc, others. |
| Encoded Archival Description (EAD) | 1998 | Berkeley Project | Text editor | Web browser |
| Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) | 2000 (January 26) | W3C | Text/XML editor, HTML editor | Web browser |
| Halibut | 1999 | Simon Tatham | Text editor | Output to ASCII text, HTML, PDF, PostScript, Unix man pages, GNU Info, Windows Help (.CHM files), Windows WinHelp (old .HLP files) |
| HyperText Markup Language (HTML) | 1993 | Tim Berners-Lee | Text editor, HTML editor | Web browser |
| LilyPond | 1996 | Han-Wen Nienhuys, Jan Nieuwenhuizen | Text editor, Scorewriter | Output to DVI, PDF, PostScript, PNG, others. |
| Maker Interchange Format (MIF) | 1986 | Frame Technology acquired by Adobe Systems in 1995 | Text editor, FrameMaker | FrameMaker |
| MakeDoc | 2000 | Carl Sassenrath | Text editor | Web browser (XHTML or HTML output) |
| Markdown | 2004 | John Gruber | Text editor, E-mail client | Web browser (XHTML or HTML output), preview in gedit-markdown-plugin |
| Math Markup Language (MathML) | 1999 (July) | W3C | Text/XML editor, TeX converter | Web browser, Word processor |
| The Music Encoding Initiative (MEI) | 1999 | The MEI Community | XML editor | Verovio |
| Music Extensible Markup Language (MusicXML) | 2002 | Recordare | Scorewriter | Scorewriter |
| MyST Markdown | 2019 | ExecutableBooks team | Text editor | Output to Word processor, LaTeX, PDF, Markdown. |
| Office Open XML (OOXML) | 2006 | Ecma International, ISO/IEC | Office suite | Office suite |
| OpenDocument Format (ODF) | 2005 | OASIS, ISO/IEC | Office suite | Office suite |
| Open Mathematical Documents (OMDoc) | 2000 | Michael Kohlhase | Text/XML editor | Output to XHTML+MathML, TeX, others. |
| Org-mode | 2003 | Org-mode project | Emacs, text editor | Emacs. Output to HTML, PDF, DocBook, FreeMind, OpenDocument Format (ODF), others. |
| reStructuredText | 2001 | David Goodger | Text editor | Output to HTML, LaTeX, PDF, Unix man pages, ODT, S5 (HTML Slide Shows), XML, others. |
| Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) | 2004 | W3C | Vector graphics editor | Web browser, etc. |
| Script GML | 1968 1971 | IBM | Text editor | GDDM, AFP viewer |
| TeX LaTeX | 1978 1984 | Donald Knuth Leslie Lamport | Text editor | DVI or Portable Document Format (PDF) converter |
| Texinfo | 1986 | Richard Stallman | Text editor | output to DVI, Portable Document Format (PDF), HTML, DocBook, others. |
| TeXmacs format | 1998 | Joris van der Hoeven | Text editor/TeXmacs editor | PDF or PostScript files. Converters exist for TeX/LaTeX and XHTML+Mathml |
| Textile | 2002 | Dean Allen | Text editor | Web browser (XHTML or HTML output), reference and tester (uses latest PHP-Textile version 3.5.5) |
| Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) | 1990 | Text Encoding Initiative Consortium | Text/XML editor | Web Browser (using XHTML), PDF, Word Processor (using ODF) or EPUB |
| troff (typesetter runoff), groff (GNU runoff) | 1973 | Joe Ossanna | Text editor | groffer, or output to PostScript |
| Wireless Markup Language (WML) | 1999 | WAP Forum | Text/XML editor | Mobile browser |
| Language | First public release date | Creator | Editor | Viewer |
Note: While Rich Text Format (RTF) is human readable, it is not considered to be a markup language and is thus excluded from the table.

## Characteristics

Some characteristics of the markup languages.
| Language | Major purpose | Based on | Markup type | Structural markup | Presentational markup | Open format |
| AsciiDoc | Multi-purpose | | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Computable Document Format | Interactive technical documents, infographics, blogs | Wolfram Language | Tag | Yes | Yes | No |
| Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) | Technical documents | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DocBook | Technical documents | SGML / XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Encoded Archival Description (EAD) | Finding aids | XML | Tag | Yes | No | |
| Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) | Hypertext documents | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FictionBook | Multi-purpose | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Halibut | Technical documents | | Control code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HyperText Markup Language (HTML) | Hypertext documents | SGML | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lilypond | Music notation | | Control code | Yes | Yes | |
| Maker Interchange Format (MIF) | Technical documents | | Tag | Yes | Yes | |
| Markdown | Formatted Technical documents, Hypertext documents, E-mail | Text E-mail conventions | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Math Markup Language (MathML) | Mathematical documents | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | |
| The Music Encoding Initiative (MEI) | Music notation | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | |
| Music Extensible Markup Language (MusicXML) | Music notation | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Office Open XML (OOXML) | Multi-purpose | XML / ZIP | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OpenDocument Format (ODF) | Multi-purpose | XML / ZIP | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open Mathematical Document (OMDoc) | Mathematical documents | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | |
| Org-mode | Multi-purpose (notes, project management, publishing, literate programming) | Text outliner | Tag | Yes | Yes | |
| reStructuredText | Technical and Multi-purpose documents | Structured Text and Setext | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) | 2D Vector graphics | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Script GML | Multi-purpose | RUNOFF | Control code | Yes | Yes | |
| TeX LaTeX | Academic documents Multi-purpose | | Control code | Yes | Yes | |
| Texinfo | Technical documents | TeX, Scribe | Control code | Yes | Yes | |
| TeXmacs format | Academic documents | tree | Tag | Yes | Yes | |
| Textile | Hypertext documents | AsciiDoc (based on some similarities and dates of release) | Tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) | Academic, linguistic, literary and technical documents | SGML / XML | Tag | Yes | No | |
| troff (typesetter runoff), groff (GNU runoff) | Technical documents | RUNOFF | Control code | Yes | Yes | |
| Wireless Markup Language (WML) | Hypertext documents | XML | Tag | Yes | Yes | |
| Language | Major purpose | Based on | Markup type | Structural markup | Presentational markup | Open format |