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MDtoTEXT: How to Easily Convert Markdown to Plain Text (Open Source)

Meet MDtoTEXT — a lightweight, zero-dependency open-source CLI tool to strip Markdown formatting and get clean, raw text instantly. Built by a beginner dev.

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3 min read
MDtoTEXT: How to Easily Convert Markdown to Plain Text (Open Source)

How to Convert Markdown to Plain Text Easily with MDtoTEXT

Hey everyone,

I'm a beginner developer and a vibe coder. Recently, I've been using LLMs to help bring my ideas to life, and today I'm excited to share my first open-source project: MDtoTEXT.

I built this lightweight tool out of pure personal frustration. I write almost everything in Markdown, but I constantly need clean plain text. Whether I'm pasting notes into legacy applications, preparing README files, or reducing token usage before sending content to an LLM, manually removing Markdown formatting became surprisingly annoying.

GitHub Repository

GitHub: https://github.com/Edo911/md-to-text


Why Use MDtoTEXT?

There are plenty of editors and converters available, but I wanted something simple, fast, and lightweight.

Features

  • Removes Markdown syntax

    • Headers (#)
    • Bold and italic formatting (**, *, _)
    • Links and images
    • Inline code and code blocks
    • Other Markdown-specific elements
  • Preserves readability

    • Keeps paragraphs intact
    • Maintains natural text flow
    • Produces clean, easy-to-read output
  • Zero dependencies

    • Lightweight and fast
    • No unnecessary packages
  • CLI-friendly

    • Works directly from the terminal
    • Easy to integrate into scripts and workflows

Why I Built It

I mainly created MDtoTEXT for two reasons:

  1. Working with LLMs

    • Markdown syntax consumes tokens without adding much value to prompts.
    • Converting content to plain text helps maximize useful context.
  2. Copying content into text-only applications

    • Some tools and legacy systems don't support Markdown formatting.
    • Plain text is often easier to reuse and share.

A Quick Note About the Code

Since I relied heavily on AI tools to help glue everything together, the codebase is probably far from perfect. I'm still at the beginning of my development journey, so experienced engineers may notice places where the architecture could be improved.

That said, the project works reliably and solves a real problem I encounter almost every day.

Feedback, suggestions, and constructive criticism are more than welcome.


Show Some Support and Help Me Improve

If you've been looking for an easy way to convert Markdown into plain text, I'd love for you to give MDtoTEXT a try.

Ways You Can Support the Project

Star the repository on GitHub if you find it useful.

💬 Leave a comment with feedback, ideas, or feature requests.

🐛 Share edge cases that break Markdown converters so I can improve the parser.

🛠️ Suggest improvements or contribute to the project.


Thanks!

This is my first open-source project, and I'm still learning every day. Every bit of feedback and support means a lot.

Thanks for checking out MDtoTEXT!