FocusWriter AlternativesText Editors and other similar apps like FocusWriter

FocusWriter is described as 'Simple but configurable and themeable, distraction-free text editor for writers. Open-source and available across desktop platforms' and is a very popular Text Editor in the office & productivity category. There are more than 100 alternatives to FocusWriter for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, Web-based and iPhone apps. The best FocusWriter alternative is Zettlr, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like FocusWriter are ghostwriter, Trudido, QOwnNotes and Bear.

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Alternatives list

  1. Zettlr icon
     266 likes

    Unified writing platform offering note-taking, easy citations with Zotero integration, LaTeX/Word templates, snippets, themes, dark modes, code highlighting, multi-language support, and knowledge management with Zettelkasten for seamless writing from notes to books.

    236 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
     
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    1
    Zettlr vs FocusWriter Comments
    liricospina
    Positive
    -2

    This program does not work in any other version of Mac OS but the very latest, which by all accounts is still to be avoided. (Apparently. working remotely has made the macsters overzealously productive in an attempt to remain useful and banish boredom, at mac users' expense.)

    • Zettlr is Free and Open SourceFocusWriter is also Free and Open Source
    • Zettlr is a Note-taking FocusWriter is a Text Editor
    • Zettlr is Privacy focusedFocusWriter is not according to our users
  2. ghostwriter icon
     115 likes

    ghostwriter is a feature-rich text editor using Markdown syntax which makes it suitable for note-taking, document redaction, simple HTML website creation and much more.

    152 ghostwriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
     
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    2
    ghostwriter vs FocusWriter Comments
    javillalba
    Positive
    0
    • Full screen distraction-free.
    • Open Source license.
    • Word count and progress stats.
    Krakra
    Positive
    0

    very nice tool - i like it much more than Write and use it as alternative to it.

    • ghostwriter is Free and Open SourceFocusWriter is also Free and Open Source
    • ghostwriter is Privacy focusedFocusWriter is not according to our users
  3. Trudido icon
     21 likes

    Offline in-device task manager and note app featuring smart creation, advanced organization, calendar and list views, Markdown notes, secure SHA-256 encryption, Material You theming, multiple color themes, no tracking or ads, and import/export for total ownership.

    56 Trudido alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
     
  4. QOwnNotes icon
     102 likes

    Plain text notepad with markdown support and todo list manager for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, that works together with the notes application of ownCloud.

    315 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt
     
  5. Bear icon
     101 likes

    Flexible note-taking and writing tool featuring advanced markdown with in-line images, cross-note links, live preview, hashtags, Focus Mode, plain text storage, iCloud sync, one-tap formatting, smart data recognition, and multiple export formats for portability.

    296 Bear alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  6. Pages icon
     215 likes

    Word processor providing real-time collaboration, over 90 templates, iCloud integration, support for Word and EPUB files, over 700 shapes, advanced formatting tools, change tracking, mathematical equations, multimedia insertion, wireless printing, and flexible export options.

    83 Pages alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
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    1
    Pages vs FocusWriter Comments
    elkomodosdrago
    Negative
    5

    Pages lacks the same focus upon a distraction-free full-screen environment.

    • Pages is Freemium and ProprietaryFocusWriter is Free and Open Source
    • Pages is a Word Processor FocusWriter is a Text Editor
  7. iA Writer icon
     99 likes

    iA Writer is a pro tool for focused writing in Markdown, a simple formatting language. It offers features like Focus Mode, Style Check, Syntax Highlight, Wikilinks, and cross-platform compatibility.

    135 iA Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  8. Ulysses icon
     73 likes

    Ulysses is a text editor for creative writers. Used by bloggers, poets, students and published novelists all over the world, it offers an integrated environment to brainstorm, draft, revise and even submit text on a professional level.

    167 Ulysses alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  9. Dendron icon
     72 likes

    Dendron is an open-source, local-first, markdown-based, note-taking tool built on top of VSCode. It supports all the usual features you would expect like tagging, backlinks, a graph view, split panes, and so forth.

    238 Dendron alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Visual Studio Code
     
  10. novelWriter icon
     33 likes

    novelWriter is a Markdown-like text editor designed for writing novels and larger projects of many smaller plain text documents. It uses its own flavor of Markdown that supports a meta data syntax for comments, synopsis and cross-referencing between files.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Qt
    • Python
     
  11. WriteMonkey icon
     129 likes

    Writemonkey is a Windows zenware writing application with an extremely stripped down user interface, leaving you alone with your thoughts and your words.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
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    1
    WriteMonkey vs FocusWriter Comments
    callyw
    Positive
    1

    WriteMonkey has the same ability to customize the writing window and fonts It does have more features, with markdown support, for example, but it offers the same full screen distraction-free writing experience. It is also free and can be run as a portable app like FocusWriter.

    • WriteMonkey is Freemium and ProprietaryFocusWriter is Free and Open Source
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