diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 9618c75..86b7563 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ dynamic = ["version"]
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
 jinja = ["Jinja2>=3.1.2"]
-markdown = ["anchovy[jinja]", "commonmark>=0.9.1"]
+markdown = ["anchovy[jinja]", "markdown_it_py>=3.0.0"]
 css = ["tinycss2>=1.1.1"]
 pretty = ["rich>=12.5.1"]
 pillow = ["Pillow>=9.2.0"]
diff --git a/src/anchovy/__init__.py b/src/anchovy/__init__.py
index dc48e05..2b717ba 100644
--- a/src/anchovy/__init__.py
+++ b/src/anchovy/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 from .core import Context, InputBuildSettings, Matcher, PathCalc, Rule, Step
 from .css import AnchovyCSSStep
-from .dependencies import Dependency, import_install_check, which_install_check
+from .dependencies import (
+    Dependency,
+    import_install_check,
+    pip_dependency,
+    web_exec_dependency,
+    which_install_check,
+)
 from .images import CWebPStep, ImageMagickStep, IMThumbnailStep, PillowStep, OptipngStep
 from .jinja import JinjaMarkdownStep, JinjaRenderStep
 from .paths import DirPathCalc, OutputDirPathCalc, REMatcher, WorkingDirPathCalc
diff --git a/src/anchovy/cli.py b/src/anchovy/cli.py
index f811a2c..da4ce69 100644
--- a/src/anchovy/cli.py
+++ b/src/anchovy/cli.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def pprint_step(step: t.Type[Step]):
     Prettily display dependency information for the given Step class.
     """
     missing = [
-        d.name for d in step.get_dependencies()
+        str(d) for d in step.get_dependencies()
         if d.needed and not d.satisfied
 
     ]
diff --git a/src/anchovy/dependencies.py b/src/anchovy/dependencies.py
index 429f84d..9eec22c 100644
--- a/src/anchovy/dependencies.py
+++ b/src/anchovy/dependencies.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def import_install_check(dependency: Dependency):
     An install checker which tries to import a Python module.
     """
     try:
-        importlib.import_module(dependency.name)
+        importlib.import_module(dependency.check_name)
     except ImportError:
         return False
     return True
@@ -38,7 +38,22 @@ def which_install_check(dependency: Dependency):
     """
     An install checker using `shutil.which()` to look for an executable.
     """
-    return bool(shutil.which(dependency.name))
+    return bool(shutil.which(dependency.check_name))
+
+
+def pip_dependency(name: str, source: str | None = None, check_name: str | None = None):
+    """
+    A shortcut function for creating typical pip-based Dependencys.
+    """
+    return Dependency(name, 'pip', import_install_check, source, check_name)
+
+
+def web_exec_dependency(name: str, source: str | None = None, check_name: str | None = None):
+    """
+    A shortcut function for creating typical Dependencys for general
+    internet-sourced executables.
+    """
+    return Dependency(name, 'web', which_install_check, source, check_name)
 
 
 class Dependency:
@@ -49,11 +64,13 @@ def __init__(self,
                  name: str,
                  type: str,
                  install_check: t.Callable[[Dependency], bool],
-                 source: str | None = None):
+                 source: str | None = None,
+                 check_name: str | None = None):
         self.name = name
         self.type = type
         self.install_check = install_check
         self.source = source or name
+        self.check_name = check_name or name
 
     @property
     def satisfied(self):
@@ -79,6 +96,9 @@ def install_hint(self):
     def __repr__(self):
         return f'Dependency(name={self.name}, needed={self.needed}, satisfied={self.satisfied})'
 
+    def __str__(self):
+        return self.name
+
     def __or__(self, other: Dependency):
         return _OrDependency(self, other)
 
@@ -94,6 +114,9 @@ def __init__(self, left: Dependency, right: Dependency):
     def __repr__(self):
         return f'{self.left} | {self.right}'
 
+    def __str__(self):
+        return repr(self)
+
     @property
     def satisfied(self):
         """
@@ -129,6 +152,9 @@ def __init__(self, left: Dependency, right: Dependency):
     def __repr__(self):
         return f'{self.left} & {self.right}'
 
+    def __str__(self):
+        return repr(self)
+
     @property
     def satisfied(self):
         """
diff --git a/src/anchovy/images.py b/src/anchovy/images.py
index a029667..3521c57 100644
--- a/src/anchovy/images.py
+++ b/src/anchovy/images.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from .core import Step
-from .dependencies import Dependency, import_install_check, which_install_check
+from .dependencies import pip_dependency, web_exec_dependency
 from .simple import BaseCommandStep
 
 if t.TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -33,14 +33,9 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.options.extend(options)
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_dependencies(cls) -> set[Dependency]:
+    def get_dependencies(cls):
         return super().get_dependencies() | {
-            Dependency(
-                'cwebp',
-                'web',
-                which_install_check,
-                'https://developers.google.com/speed/webp/download'
-            ),
+            web_exec_dependency('cwebp', 'https://developers.google.com/speed/webp/download'),
         }
 
     def get_command(self, input_path: Path, output_path: Path) -> list[StrOrBytesPath]:
@@ -60,13 +55,12 @@ def __init__(self, options: t.Iterable[str] = ()):
         self.options = options
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_dependencies(cls) -> set[Dependency]:
+    def get_dependencies(cls):
         return super().get_dependencies() | {
-            Dependency(
-                'magick',
-                'web',
-                which_install_check,
-                'https://imagemagick.org/script/download.php'
+            web_exec_dependency(
+                'imagemagick',
+                'https://imagemagick.org/script/download.php',
+                'magick'
             ),
         }
 
@@ -109,13 +103,11 @@ def __init__(self, thumbnail: tuple[int, int] | None = None):
         self.thumbnail = thumbnail
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_dependencies(cls) -> set[Dependency]:
+    def get_dependencies(cls):
         return super().get_dependencies() | {
-            Dependency(
-                'PIL',
-                'pip',
-                import_install_check,
-                'Pillow'
+            pip_dependency(
+                'Pillow',
+                check_name='PIL'
             ),
         }
 
@@ -148,9 +140,9 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.options.extend(extra_options)
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_dependencies(cls) -> set[Dependency]:
+    def get_dependencies(cls):
         return super().get_dependencies() | {
-            Dependency('optipng', 'web', which_install_check, 'http://optipng.sourceforge.net'),
+            web_exec_dependency('optipng', 'http://optipng.sourceforge.net'),
         }
 
     def get_command(self, input_path: Path, output_path: Path) -> list[StrOrBytesPath]:
diff --git a/src/anchovy/jinja.py b/src/anchovy/jinja.py
index 4a4e1df..4f33136 100644
--- a/src/anchovy/jinja.py
+++ b/src/anchovy/jinja.py
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 
 import shutil
 import typing as t
+from functools import reduce
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from .core import Context, Step
-from .dependencies import Dependency, import_install_check
+from .dependencies import pip_dependency, Dependency
 
 if t.TYPE_CHECKING:
     import commonmark
@@ -13,6 +14,9 @@
     from jinja2 import Environment
 
 
+MDProcessor = t.Callable[[str], str]
+
+
 class JinjaRenderStep(Step):
     """
     Abstract base class for Steps using Jinja rendering.
@@ -20,9 +24,9 @@ class JinjaRenderStep(Step):
     env: Environment
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_dependencies(cls) -> set[Dependency]:
+    def get_dependencies(cls):
         return super().get_dependencies() | {
-            Dependency('jinja2', 'pip', import_install_check),
+            pip_dependency('jinja2'),
         }
 
     def __init__(self,
@@ -73,35 +77,64 @@ class JinjaMarkdownStep(JinjaRenderStep):
     encoding = 'utf-8'
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_dependencies(cls) -> set[Dependency]:
-        return super().get_dependencies() | {
-            Dependency('commonmark', 'pip', import_install_check),
-        }
+    def _build_markdownit(cls):
+        import markdown_it
+        processor = markdown_it.MarkdownIt()
+
+        def convert(s: str) -> str:
+            return processor.render(s)
+
+        return convert
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _build_commonmark(cls):
+        import commonmark
+        parser = commonmark.Parser()
+        renderer = commonmark.HtmlRenderer()
+
+        def convert(s: str) -> str:
+            return renderer.render(parser.parse(s))
+
+        return convert
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_options(cls):
+        return [
+            (pip_dependency('markdown-it-py', None, 'markdown_it'), cls._build_markdownit),
+            (pip_dependency('commonmark'), cls._build_commonmark),
+        ]
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_dependencies(cls):
+        deps = [option[0] for option in cls.get_options()]
+        dep_set = {reduce(lambda x, y: x | y, deps)} if deps else set[Dependency]()
+
+        return super().get_dependencies() | dep_set
 
     def __init__(self,
                  default_template: str | None = None,
-                 md_parser: commonmark.Parser | None = None,
-                 md_renderer: commonmark.render.renderer.Renderer | None = None,
+                 md_processor: MDProcessor | None = None,
                  jinja_env: Environment | None = None,
                  jinja_globals: dict[str, t.Any] | None = None):
         super().__init__(jinja_env, jinja_globals)
         self.default_template = default_template
+        self._md_processor = md_processor
+
+    @property
+    def md_processor(self):
+        if not self._md_processor:
+            for dep, factory in self.get_options():
+                if dep.satisfied:
+                    self._md_processor = factory()
+                    break
+            else:
+                raise RuntimeError('Markdown processor could not be initialized!')
+        return self._md_processor
 
-        if md_parser:
-            self.md_parser = md_parser
-        else:
-            import commonmark
-            self.md_parser = commonmark.Parser()
-        if md_renderer:
-            self.md_renderer = md_renderer
-        else:
-            import commonmark
-            self.md_renderer = commonmark.HtmlRenderer()
 
     def __call__(self, path: Path, output_paths: list[Path]):
         meta, content = self.extract_metadata(path.read_text(self.encoding))
-        ast = self.md_parser.parse(content.strip())
-        meta |= {'rendered_markdown': self.md_renderer.render(ast).strip()}
+        meta |= {'rendered_markdown': self.md_processor(content.strip()).strip()}
 
         self.render_template(
             meta.get('template', self.default_template),