# Docling vs Marker

Docling is free, with no paid plan attached. Marker is free, with no paid plan attached.

| | Docling | Marker |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Free to start | Yes | Yes |
| Category | Research & Learning | Research & Learning |
| Type | AI OCR & Document Extraction | AI OCR & Document Extraction |
| Best for | MIT-licensed, 64.7k GitHub stars, IBM Research-originated, now under LF AI & Data Foundation | Apache-2.0 code, 38.7k GitHub stars, converts PDFs/DOCX/PPTX/XLSX to markdown/JSON |

## FAQ

### Docling vs Marker: what is the difference?

Docling is free, with no paid plan attached and is listed for MIT-licensed, 64.7k GitHub stars, IBM Research-originated, now under LF AI & Data Foundation. Marker is free, with no paid plan attached and is listed for apache-2.0 code, 38.7k GitHub stars, converts PDFs/DOCX/PPTX/XLSX to markdown/JSON. Both sit in AI OCR & Document Extraction.

### Is Docling or Marker cheaper to start with?

Neither — Docling and Marker are both free, so the choice comes down to capability rather than cost. Both entries list what they uniquely do above.

### Which should I choose, Docling or Marker?

Choose Docling if you need MIT-licensed, 64.7k GitHub stars, IBM Research-originated, now under LF AI & Data Foundation; choose Marker if you need apache-2.0 code, 38.7k GitHub stars, converts PDFs/DOCX/PPTX/XLSX to markdown/JSON. Flocci AI Tools does not rank one above the other — it shows both feature sets side by side and lets the requirement decide.

## Related

- [Docling](https://aitools.flocci.in/tool/docling)
- [Marker](https://aitools.flocci.in/tool/marker)
- [Docling alternatives](https://aitools.flocci.in/alternatives/docling)
- [Marker alternatives](https://aitools.flocci.in/alternatives/marker)
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Source: Flocci AI Tools — https://aitools.flocci.in/compare/docling-vs-marker

Facts last verified: October 2026