Use Cases

What each markup language is typically used for.

HTML

The universal format for web pages and web application UI — anything rendered by a browser ultimately becomes HTML.

XML

Data interchange, configuration, and document formats where strict validation matters — SOAP APIs, RSS/Atom feeds, Office Open XML documents, Android layout files, and countless enterprise data formats.

Markdown

Lightweight documentation, README files, comments and issues on platforms like GitHub, blogging, and note-taking, wherever fast, readable plain-text formatting is more valuable than rich structure.

AsciiDoc

Longer-form technical documentation and books — API references, manuals, and publishing pipelines that need indexes, cross-references, and multi-chapter includes beyond what Markdown comfortably handles.

reStructuredText

Python project documentation in particular, especially via Sphinx, which powers the official docs for Python itself and a large share of the Python ecosystem’s libraries.

LaTeX

Academic papers, theses, and technical books, especially in mathematics, physics, and computer science, wherever precise typesetting of equations and citations is required.