Documents conversion
Convert RTF to Markdown
Updated Jul 2026
RTF is a rich text format that keeps fonts, colors, and layout across word processors, while Markdown is a plain text format for writing docs, notes, and READMEs with simple symbols for headings and emphasis. To convert, open the RTF file in a converter and export it as Markdown, right on your own computer, with nothing uploaded anywhere.
- Extension
- .rtf
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Cross-app rich text
- Extension
- .md
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Docs, READMEs, notes
Convert RTF to Markdown on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert RTF to Markdown
- Open Morphjet and drag in the RTF file, or a whole folder of them at once.
- Choose Markdown as the output format.
- Convert. The .md files are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
RTF vs Markdown: what actually changes
| RTF | Markdown | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Larger, formatting codes and fonts add overhead | Much smaller, plain text |
| Formatting kept | Full, fonts, colors, tables, embedded images | Basic only, headings, bold, italic, links, lists |
| Opens everywhere | Most word processors, not every app | Any text editor, plus wikis, READMEs, and note apps |
| Editable as plain text | No, needs a word processor to make sense of it | Yes, it's already plain text |
| Easy to track changes on | Poor, diffs are unreadable | Good, diffs read like the document |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert RTF to Markdown when you're moving notes or documents into a wiki, README, static site, or note app that expects plain text, or when you want something easy to diff and track in git.
Keep the RTF if the document depends on things Markdown can't represent, like custom fonts, text colors, precise layout, or tables, since converting will simplify or drop that formatting.
Why not just use an online converter?
RTF files often hold drafts, contracts, or personal notes, and an online converter means uploading that document to a server you don't control just to get a .md file back. Converting on your own computer keeps the document, and whatever it contains, on your machine the whole time. You can even do it with your wifi off.
Questions
Does converting RTF to Markdown lose formatting?
Some of it. Headings, bold, italic, links, and lists carry over fine, but custom fonts, text colors, tables, and exact spacing don't exist in Markdown and get simplified or dropped.
Will images inside the RTF file make it into the Markdown?
Embedded images are pulled out and referenced with a Markdown image link where possible, but you'll want to keep the image file alongside the .md file for that link to actually work.
Can I convert RTF to Markdown without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so there's no upload and no need to be online at all.
Why convert to Markdown instead of just keeping the RTF?
Markdown is plain text, so it's easy to read, edit in any text editor, track changes on with tools like git, and paste into docs, wikis, or READMEs that expect it.
Morphjet converts RTF, Markdown, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.