Marker vs 
Docling
Marker vs Docling compared for 2026 — features, license, ease of use, performance and which one to choose. Convert PDFs to clean Markdown fast vs IBM-grade document understanding.
Updated regularly · curated by OpenSourceAI.tech
Marker vs Docling at a glance
| Spec | Marker | Docling |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document AI & OCR | Document AI & OCR |
| Type | PDF-to-Markdown converter | Document parsing toolkit |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Runs locally | Yes | Yes |
| Primary language | Python | Python |
| Ease of use | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Best for | developers feeding documents into RAG pipelines | teams building document pipelines for RAG |
| GitHub stars | — | 63.1k |
How Marker and Docling score
| Criterion | Marker | Docling |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity | n/a | 4.5 |
| Maintenance | n/a | 5.0 |
| Ease of use | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| License freedom | 3.5 | 5.0 |
Scores are computed automatically from public signals — GitHub stars (popularity), recent commit activity (maintenance), license type (freedom), local-first design (privacy) and onboarding complexity (ease of use). Indicative, not a verdict.
What each one is
Marker
Marker converts PDFs and office documents to clean Markdown, JSON and HTML with high accuracy, handling tables, equations and multi-column layouts.
- High-accuracy PDF to Markdown, tables included
- Handles equations and complex layouts
- Fast batch conversion on GPU or CPU
Docling
Docling parses PDFs, DOCX, PPTX and images into structured representations with layout, tables and reading order, designed to plug straight into RAG frameworks.
- Rich structured output: layout, tables, reading order
- First-class integrations with LangChain and LlamaIndex
- Backed by IBM Research, MIT-licensed
Key differences
Marker is pDF-to-Markdown converter, while Docling is document parsing toolkit. Their licenses differ (GPL-3.0 vs MIT), which matters if you ship a commercial product. In short, Marker fits developers feeding documents into RAG pipelines, and Docling fits teams building document pipelines for RAG.
Which should you choose?
Choose Marker for developers feeding documents into RAG pipelines. Choose Docling for teams building document pipelines for RAG.
There is rarely one winner — many setups use both. The right pick depends on your hardware, your team's skills, and whether you value simplicity or control.
Frequently asked questions
Is Marker or Docling easier to use?
Both sit at a similar level (Intermediate). Your choice should come down to fit rather than difficulty.
Are Marker and Docling free?
Marker is free and open source (GPL-3.0), and Docling is free and open source (MIT). Neither charges for the core software.
Can I run Marker and Docling locally?
Marker: yes · Docling: yes. Both can be used without sending your data to a third-party cloud where their setup allows.
Marker vs Docling — which should I pick in 2026?
Choose Marker for developers feeding documents into RAG pipelines. Choose Docling for teams building document pipelines for RAG.
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