Pandoc in your browser vs Pandoc CLI
Both run the same Pandoc engine — the gold standard of document conversion, maintained for two decades. The difference is where it runs and what you can do with it.
This site runs Pandoc via WebAssembly in your browser. No install, no server, no upload. The CLI version lives on your drive and unlocks CSL citation processing, Lua filters, and shell scripting.
| Browser Pandoc (this site) | Pandoc CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | None — open the page | Install binary (brew, apt, chocolatey, etc.) |
| Privacy | Files never leave your device | Local & private |
| Fidelity | Same Pandoc engine — full fidelity for footnotes, math, citations, tables | Same engine — plus CSL citation processing, Lua filters |
| Batch | Drag & drop a folder | Script it yourself (bash, PowerShell, Make) |
| Works offline | Yes, after first load (PWA) | Yes (local install) |
| CSL citations | Not supported (browser sandboxed) | Yes — citation file + CSL style |
| Lua filters | Not supported | Yes — custom document transforms |
| Price | Free, no quota | Free, open source |
When browser Pandoc is the right choice
You need Pandoc's fidelity but can't install software — locked-down work laptops, school Chromebooks, borrowed machines.
Privacy-sensitive content: contracts, unpublished manuscripts, legal documents that must never touch a server.
Quick batch conversion: drag a folder of Word or ODT files and get Markdown back in one shot.
When CLI Pandoc is the better tool
Academic writing with CSL citations: the CLI can resolve DOIs, render bibliography entries, and apply CSL styles (APA, Chicago, Vancouver).
Automation: pipe Pandoc into shell scripts, Makefiles, or CI/CD. Lua filters let you transform documents in arbitrary ways.
Custom input/output: the CLI supports formats the browser UI doesn't expose (ZimWiki, Muse, Jira, and more).
How they compare on fidelity
The core conversion engine is identical — both use Pandoc's internal document model. Footnotes, citations, LaTeX math, nested tables, tracked changes — all survive the trip equally well in either version.
The CLI pulls ahead only when you add external tools: CSL citation processors need a citation database and style file (both filesystem access), and Lua filters need filesystem imports.