The Problem: Markdown Sharing is Broken
If you're working with AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor (and let's be honest, who isn't these days?), markdown has become an integral part of your daily workflow. But here's the kicker: there's no good way to share markdown content while preserving its formatting.
Let me paint you a picture:
- Pastebin? Syntax highlighting is locked behind a paywall on the free tier.
- Messaging apps (Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal)? They squish everything together with zero control over wrapping or formatting.
- Slack/Teams/Discord? Great if everyone's on the same platform, but what about external collaborators?
- GitHub Gists? Excellent, but feels heavy-handed for throwaway notes or quick information sharing.
I found myself constantly frustrated trying to share structured information with both technical and non-technical folks. Raw markdown looks like gibberish to most people, and I needed something that "just works."
So I built MdBin.
What is MdBin?
MdBin (short for MarkdownBin) is a free, public utility that lets you share GitHub-esque rendered markdown content instantly. No signup. No paywalls. No friction.
Think of it as Pastebin meets GitHub's markdown renderer, with a dash of simplicity sprinkled on top.
Core Features
- Instant Sharing: Paste your markdown, click share, get a link. That's it.
- Beautiful Rendering: GitHub-flavored markdown with full syntax highlighting for code blocks
- Simple Controls: Copy link, view raw markdown, or create a new paste—right from the top bar
- 100% Free: All features available to everyone, always
- No Account Required: Zero friction, zero tracking, zero hassle
- Generous Limits: Up to 100KB per paste (that's a LOT of markdown)
Real-World Use Cases
Here's where MdBin really shines:
1. LLM Context Sharing
When working with AI assistants, you often need to share large chunks of structured information. Instead of pasting raw markdown that looks like line noise, share a MdBin link. Recipients see beautifully formatted content they can actually read.
2. Throwaway Documentation
Got meeting notes? Onboarding instructions? Quick guides? Don't pollute your GitHub repos with temporary docs—use MdBin instead.
3. Cross-Platform Collaboration
Working with clients or collaborators who aren't on your Slack/Discord/Teams? MdBin links work anywhere, for anyone.
4. Technical Troubleshooting
Share formatted error logs, configuration examples, or debugging notes with proper syntax highlighting.
5. Code Snippets
Need to share code examples without creating a full gist? MdBin has you covered with multi-language syntax highlighting.
Check Out These Examples
Here are some real pastes to see MdBin in action:
- Express.js Documentation - Shows table of contents and structured content
- Trading Strategy Guide - Complex formatting with blockquotes, badges, and headings
- Google Account Setup - Multi-level lists and step-by-step instructions
Tech Stack
For the curious developers out there, MdBin is built with:
- Next.js 15 (App Router + Turbopack) - Blazing fast performance
- PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM - Reliable, type-safe data storage
- Tailwind CSS v4 - Clean, responsive styling
- Vercel - Lightning-fast deployment and edge functions
- Railway - Managed PostgreSQL database
- Brotli Compression - Efficient storage for large pastes
The entire stack is optimized for speed and simplicity, both for users and for maintainability.
The Philosophy: Simple, Fast, Free
I built MdBin with three core principles:
- Simple: No accounts, no configuration, no complexity. Just paste and share.
- Fast: Optimized with Turbopack and edge functions for instant loading.
- Free: All features available to everyone. No freemium nonsense.
The goal isn't to replace GitHub Gists or create the next big SaaS platform. It's to solve one problem exceptionally well: sharing rendered markdown quickly and beautifully.
What's Next?
MdBin is live and working great, but there's always room for improvement. Some ideas I'm considering:
- Expiration options (1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, permanent)
- Password protection for sensitive content
- Edit links for updating pastes
- Download as .md for offline use
- View counters for analytics
- Custom themes (beyond dark mode)
Try It Out!
Head over to mdbin.vercel.app and give it a spin. Paste some markdown, share a link, see how it feels.
I'd love to hear your feedback:
- What features would make this more useful for you?
- What pain points does this solve (or not solve) in your workflow?
- What edge cases am I missing?
Drop a comment below or open an issue on GitHub (repo coming soon)!
TL;DR: Built a free tool to share rendered markdown with GitHub-style formatting because Pastebin paywalls syntax highlighting and messaging apps destroy formatting. Check it out at mdbin.vercel.app.
No signup required. No bullshit. Just markdown that actually looks good.
Top comments (1)
Great tool! Very useful and versatile.