Writing
A vast compilation of great writing apps and word processors, for all your writing needs. From office suites to publishing tools. Now with an emphasis on privacy.
Office
My favorite word processor. FOSS. The Android app is not very good, however.
Create and edit documents online without sacrificing your privacy
ONLYOFFICE is an opensource office and productivity suite that enables you to manage documents, projects, team and customer relations in one place.
Note taking and to-do's
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, can be copied, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor. The notes are in Markdown format.
Notes exported from Evernote via .enex files can be imported into Joplin, including the formatted content (which is converted to Markdown), resources (images, attachments, etc.) and complete metadata (geolocation, updated time, created time, etc.). Plain Markdown files can also be imported.
The notes can be synchronised with various cloud services including Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, their own service (paid) or the file system (for example with a network directory). When synchronising the notes, notebooks, tags and other metadata are saved to plain text files which can be easily inspected, backed up and moved around.
The application is available for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and iOS. A Web Clipper, to save web pages and screenshots from your browser, is also available for Firefox and Chrome.
Features:
- Desktop, mobile and terminal applications.
- Web Clipper for Firefox and Chrome.
- End To End Encryption (E2EE)
- Synchronisation with various services, including NextCloud, Dropbox, WebDAV and OneDrive.
- Import Enex files (Evernote export format) and Markdown files.
- Export JEX files (Joplin Export format) and raw files.
- Support for to-dos and tags
- Support for notifications in mobile and desktop applications.
- Offline first, so the entire data is always available on the device even without an internet connection.
- Markdown notes. Support for extra features such as math notation, checkboxes and Fountain (screenwriting markup language).
- File attachment support, images, etc.
- Search functionality.
- Geo-location support.
- Supports multiple languages
- External editor support - open notes in your favorite external editor with one click in Joplin.
Whether it's bookmarks or passwords, files or shopping lists...Turtl organizes it all and makes it easy to find later. Sync across your devices. Leave nothing behind.
Turtl uses high-end cryptography to protect your data. Whether you're worried about information leaks, competitive advantage, or blanket government surveillance, Turtl works hard to make sure only you, and those you choose, can see your data.
Just because Turtl is secure and private doesn't mean you can't share with your teammates or family. Choose who you want to have access to your data without compromising your security.
Markdown
Both minimalistic and feature packed.
Mark Text support CommonMark Spec and GitHub Flavored Markdown Spec. And it is a realtime preview eidtor, what you type is what you see finally.
Zettlr is a one-stop publication workbench that combines many writing features and collects them in one application. It aims at speeding up your workflow and help you write without any interruptions.
Features:
- Your Notes are your notes: Zettlr is privacy-first
- Citations made easy: Tight and ever-growing integration with your favorite reference manager (Zotero, JabRef, and many others)
- Available in over a dozen languages
- Draft your publications in a professional environment, with LaTeX and Word template support
- Simple and beautiful exports with Pandoc, LaTeX, and Textbundle
- Snippets allow you to automate insertion of boilerplate code
- Themes, dark modes, and full flexibility with custom CSS
- Code highlighting for many languages
- Support for state-of-the-art knowledge management techniques (Zettelkasten)
- A powerful full text search that helps you find anything, anywhere
ghostwriter is a text editor using the Markdown syntax, available for Windows, Linux and macOS. Files created by ghostwriter are plain text files, editable even without ghostwriter on any OS whether on computer, mobile phone or other. This increased portability can make it very convenient for note-taking or document sharing.
ghostwriter provides a relaxing, distraction-free writing environment including a full screen mode and a clean interface. No longer do you have to look at your friend's stylish Mac OS X Markdown editor with envy.
Here is a list of its features:
Syntax highlighting of Markdown Navigation of document headings Full-screen mode Spell checking with Hunspell Keyboard shortcuts for quick editing Focus mode that highlights the current sentence, line, three lines, or paragraph Two built-in themes, one light and one dark Theme creator for custom colors and background images MathJax support to write math equations A Live word count A live HTML preview as you type Use of custom CSS style sheets for HTML preview Image URL insertion via dragging and dropping an image file into the editor Sundown processor built in for preview and export to HTML Interoperability with the following Markdown processors (if installed) for preview and export to popular document formats, such as PDF, ODT, and RTF
The best part is that ghostwriter is entirely free and open source. The developer has greatly benefited from free and open source software over the years and wanted to give something back to the community. As such, ghostwriter is distributed under the generous GNU General Public License v3.
"Zenware" writing app.
For novelists
One-man software, filled with unique features and creative ideas.
Helpful for novel writing, allows for character descriptions and helpful sorting.
Perfect for breaking down your novels and organizing plot ideas.
Aimed at novel authors, Scrivener is know for being resourceful and reliable.
Feature-packed and distraction-free outliner and novel assistant.
For programmers
Boost Note is a document driven project management tool that maximizes remote DevOps team velocity
WRITE OFFLINE You can write/edit your notes on your laptop even if you are offline.
MULTIPLE DEVICES Boostnote is available for browser, desktop and mobile.
SYNTAX HIGHLIGHT Boostnote can highlight code syntax in more than 100 languages.
Atom is an open-source, Electron based text editor with a massive ecosystem of plugins and themes that are easily accessible through a built-in package manager. Being built with Electron, it uses web technology (HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Node.js) and offers the same editing experience across Mac, Windows and Linux desktops. Different from most editors, it uses that same technology for themes so the UI is highly configurable through HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
FEATURES
- Same familiar workflow across platforms.
- Built-in package manager.
- File system browser.
- Advanced find-and-replace that works across multiple files and folders.
- Smart autocompletion.
Blogging
Focused on blogging, time tracking, writing prompts and encouragment.
For collaboration
CryptPad is a private-by-design alternative to popular office tools and cloud services. All the content stored on CryptPad is encrypted before being sent, which means nobody can access your data unless you give them the keys.
CryptPad is a suite of zero knowledge, realtime collaborative editors and applications. Encryption carried out in your web browser protects the data from the server, the cloud, and the NSA. The secret encryption key is stored in the URL fragment identifier which is never sent to the server but is available to javascript so by sharing the URL, you give authorization to others who want to participate.
CryptPad uses a variant of the Operational transformation algorithm which is able to find distributed consensus using a Nakamoto Blockchain, a construct popularized by Bitcoin. This way the algorithm can avoid the need for a central server to resolve Operational Transform Edit Conflicts and without the need for resolving conflicts, the server can be kept unaware of the content which is being edited on the pad.
Cryptpad offers collaboration on text and WYSIWYG documents, as well as a basic polling application where users see results in real time.
Collaborative writer.
Docs with real-time collaboration and simple formatting.
Mobile
Best writing app on Android, hands down. Totally worth the full-version purchase.
Proofing
Free proofreading tool, perfect partner in crime for LibreOffice!
Online proofreading software.
Highlights common mistakes and aims at making your writing bold and clear.
Export/share your work
Gets professionals together and helps authors publish their books.
Write, collaborate and publish books.
Write, collaborate and publish books.
Others
Interesting acquisition on Steam, and those achievements are a fine productivity boost!
Trelby is simple, fast and elegantly laid out to make screenwriting simple. It is infinitely configurable.
- Screenplay editor: Enforces correct script format and pagination, auto-completion, and spell checking.
- Multiplatform : Behaves identically on all platforms, generating the exact same output.
- Choice of view: Multiple views, including draft view, WYSIWYG mode, and fullscreen to suit your writing style.
- Name database: Character name database containing over 200,000 names from various countries.
- Reporting: Scene/location/character/dialogue reports.
- Compare: Ability to compare scripts, so you know what changed between versions.
- Import: Formatted text, Final Draft XML (.fdx).
- Export: PDF, formatted text, HTML, RTF, Final Draft XML (.fdx).
- PDF: Built-in, highly configurable PDF generator. Supports embedding your chosen font.
- Free software: Licensed under the GPL, Trelby welcomes developers and screenwriters to contribute in making it more useful.
KIT Scenarist is a free and open source application for creating screenplays on desktops and commercial on mobiles.
KIT Scenarist is a fully-featured studio for creating movie screenplays. It combines: • project organizer that will allow storing all research documents on the project in one place [except for simple text documents, it can be pictures, links to Internet resources and even mind maps]; • the corkboard provides opportunities for placing, arranging, grouping and visualizing scenes of the future screenplay in the form of index cards on the corkboard; • a specialized script editor will allow users to forget about formatting the script and direct all the creative energy to create incredible stories; • the module of reports and statistics will help to look at history from a different angle, as well as prepare all the necessary reports for production; • a flexible application settings system will allow a user to create a comfortable environment for creativity.
Quick video overview of KIT Scenarist version 0.7.0 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg-BLExGWzE
The application has fast and caring customer support: if you find a bug, have a great idea how to make the app better, want to add a translation or spellchecking dictionary for specific language - welcome! Just write us to Facebook or directly via the feedback form on the site.
The application has the additional feature - real-time collaboration. It available by subscription.
In near future we want to implement: • saving all project's series in one file (project's bible under your hands for every series + production reports will include all of them); • mobile versions for Android and iOS devices.
Supported languages: English, German, French, Kazakh, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian.
To organize your ideas. *
Immersive and clean word processor, to simply get stuff done.
Comments
Fantastic! A delightful and productive list to stumble on. Thank you so very much..
Hey, no problem! Glad it was useful to you. (:
I should actually add a few more entries to it...
Some comments / suggestions
WPS:
Closed source and Chinese. You have to ask why they're offering their product for "free". That makes me suspicious enough not to want to install their software on my PC. Plenty of other Freemium software from China has proved insecure / privacy-invading (e.g. Maxthon). Libre Office is preferable in all regards and Only Office covers more ground for Microsoft compatibility.
Notion:
No Android app (what are they smoking?) and the pricing is very high if you're just one person.
Typora vs Mark Text:
Typora is nice, but will be free only during beta. For a similar open source app, see Mark Text. Another one to check out is Ghostwriter.
If you rely on a service to store your data, you should know that they can read your stuff if they don't use "zero-knowledge" or "end-to-end" encryption. Without this, they can also be forced to give your data up to government surverillance programs and your information is readable to any hackers that manage to breach the servers on which your stuff is stored. Here are some suggestions for writing apps that offer encryption and therefore cannot read or give away your data.
Collaboration + Encryption?
See Cryptpad. Open source, of course.
Encrypted html-based text editor
Try Airborn. It looks like Word, but it saves your stuff in .html format. Open source, as always.
[Edited by JohnFastman, April 30]
[Edited by JohnFastman, April 30]
John, thanks for your comment. Sorry it took me so long to update my list, but it now reflects your suggestions.
Reply written