freewrite AlternativesNote-taking Tools and other similar apps like freewrite

freewrite is described as 'One simple, clean place to write continuously for a set time without distraction — think through a new idea, write your next script, reflect on an event, whatever' and is a Note-taking tool in the news & books category. There are more than 50 alternatives to freewrite for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, Web-based and iPhone apps. The best freewrite alternative is Joplin, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like freewrite are Zettlr, Simplenote, Typora and ghostwriter.

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One simple, clean place to write continuously for a set time without distraction — think through a new idea, write your...

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freewrite alternatives page was last updated Apr 12, 2025
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  1. Joplin icon

    Joplin

     830 likes
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    Open source app for managing notes and to-dos with Markdown support. Syncs seamlessly across devices using services like Dropbox and OneDrive. Offers end-to-end encrypted synchronicity, offline access, rich import/export options, and a Web Clipper for browsers.

    83 Joplin alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Desktop and mobile apps

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  End-to-End Encryption
    4.  Web Clipper
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Local Storage
    7.  File Sync
    8.  Tagging
    9.  Ad-free
    10. Android icon  Android Sync
    11.  Encrypted Notes
    12.  WebDAV Support

    Joplin VS freewrite

     

    • Joplin is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to freewrite.

    • Joplin is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to freewrite.

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open Sourcefreewrite is Free and Open Source
    • Joplin is Privacy focusedfreewrite is not according to our users
  2. Zettlr icon

    Zettlr

     227 likes
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    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.

    161 Zettlr alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Zettlr Main Window (dark mode)

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Zettelkasten note method
    3.  File Tagging
    4.  Multiple export options
    5. Zotero icon  Zotero integration
    6.  Note organization
    7.  Link files
    8.  Built-in themes
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Export to LaTeX
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  Write files in markdown

    Zettlr VS freewrite

     
  4. Simplenote icon

    Simplenote

     597 likes
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    Made by the company behind WordPress, Simplenote enables users to take notes, lists, and ideas. These notes are stored on the cloud and are accessible across multiple devices.

    85 Simplenote alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Simplenote screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Clean design
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Cross-device syncing
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Search by tags
    4.  Simple text editor
    5.  Protected by Password
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Text Based Format
    8.  Full-Text Search
    9.  Portable
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  No Tracking
    12.  Ad-free

    Simplenote VS freewrite

     

    • Simplenote is the most popular Web-based alternative to freewrite.

    • Simplenote is Free and Open Sourcefreewrite is also Free and Open Source
    • Simplenote is Lightweightfreewrite is not according to our users
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  6. Typora icon

    Typora

     322 likes
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    A minimalist Markdown editor offering cross-platform synchronization, live preview, and seamless export/import in various formats like PDF, DOCX, and LaTeX. Features include distraction-free Focus and Typewriter modes, file management with tree and articles panels, and content organization through an outline panel.

    166 Typora alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CN flagChina

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Electron
    Typora screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Clean design
    4.  Support for Themes
    5.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Live Preview
    3.  Write files in markdown
    4.  WYSIWYG Support
    5.  Save as Markdown
    6.  Simple text editor
    7. LaTeX icon  Support for LaTeX
    8.  Syntax Highlighting
    9.  Export to PDF
    10.  Multiplatform
    11.  Spell Checking
    12.  Distraction-free Writing

    Typora VS freewrite

     

    • Typora is the most popular commercial alternative to freewrite.

    • Typora is Paid and Proprietaryfreewrite is Free and Open Source
    • Typora is Lightweightfreewrite is not according to our users
  7. ghostwriter icon

    ghostwriter

     104 likes
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    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.

    134 ghostwriter alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    ghostwriter screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Simple text editor
    4.  Stay Focused
    5.  Distraction-free Writing
    6.  Spell Checking
    7.  Live Preview
    8.  Portable
    9.  Writing statistics
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  Works Offline
    12. LaTeX icon  Support for LaTeX

    ghostwriter VS freewrite

     
  8. Mark Text icon

    Mark Text

     118 likes
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    Open-source Markdown editor on Mac, Windows, and Linux offering real-time preview, clean interface, and various themes. Supports math expressions, exports HTML/PDF, allows image pasting, and more.

    101 Mark Text alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    GitHub Flavored Markdown
    Discontinued

    MarkText is no longer maintained since July 2022. Last version, 0.17.1, released in March 2022, can be still downloaded from GitHub. A fork a being developed here: https://github.com/jacobwhall/marktext

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free
    2.  Clean design
    3.  Privacy focused
    4.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  WYSIWYG Support
    3.  Real-time inline preview
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Live Preview
    6.  Write files in markdown
    7.  Distraction-free Writing
    8.  Tabbed interface
    9.  Text editing
    10.  Nested Folders
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  No registration required

    Mark Text VS freewrite

     
  10. QOwnNotes icon

    QOwnNotes

     93 likes
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    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.

    239 QOwnNotes alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • AT flagAustria
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt
    QOwnNotes main screen

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Support for Themes
    3.  Lightweight
    4.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Local Storage
    3.  Plain text file
    4.  Tagging
    5. Nextcloud icon  Nextcloud integration
    6.  End-to-End Encryption
    7.  Syntax Highlighting
    8.  Subtasks
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  QT Based

    QOwnNotes VS freewrite

     
  11. Marknote icon

    Marknote

     20 likes
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    Marknote lets you create rich text notes and easily organise them into notebooks. You can personalise your notebooks by choosing an icon and accent color for each one, making it easy to distinguish between them and keep your notes at your fingertips.

    86 Marknote alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Marknote screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  No Tracking
    4.  Save as Markdown
    5.  Notebook
    6.  KDE
    7.  No registration required
    8.  WYSIWYG Support
    9.  Works Offline
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Spell Checking
    12.  Note Manager

    Marknote VS freewrite

     
  12. Dendron icon

    Dendron

     68 likes
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    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.

    192 Dendron alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Visual Studio Code
    Dendron screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Local Storage
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Hierarchical Structure
    4.  Block reference
    5.  Graph view
    6.  VSCode
    7.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    8.  Backlinks
    9.  Quick reference lookup
    10.  Publishing
    11.  Tagging
    12.  Bidirectional links

    Dendron VS freewrite

     
  13. FocusWriter icon

    FocusWriter

     205 likes
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    Simple but configurable and themeable, distraction-free text editor for writers. Open-source and available across desktop platforms.

    95 FocusWriter alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    FocusWriter screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Support for Themes
    4.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Distraction-free Writing
    2.  Daily progress tracker
    3.  Fullscreen support
    4.  Skin customization
    5.  Auto-saving
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Spell Checking
    9.  No registration required
    10.  Portable
    11.  Writing statistics
    12.  Multiple languages

    FocusWriter VS freewrite

     
  14. Foam icon

    Foam

     47 likes
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    Foam is a personal knowledge management and sharing system inspired by Roam Research, built on Visual Studio Code and GitHub.

    235 Foam alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Visual Studio Code
    Foam screenshot 1

    Foam Features

    1.  Knowledge base
    2.  VSCode
    3.  Knowledge Management
    4.  Write files in markdown
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Support for MarkDown
    8.  Graph view

    Foam VS freewrite

     
  15. Nuclino icon

    Nuclino

     134 likes
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    Nuclino is a unified workspace where teams can bring all their knowledge, docs, and projects together in one place. It’s a modern, simple, and blazingly fast way to collaborate, without the chaos of files and folders, context switching, or silos.

    302 Nuclino alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • iPad
    Nuclino screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Real time collaboration
    2.  Mind Map view
    3.  Kanban Board
    4.  Support for MarkDown
    5.  WYSIWYG Support
    6.  Team Collaboration
    7.  Drag and Drop
    8.  Wiki-like interface
    9.  Infinite hierarchical depth
    10.  Custom fields
    11.  Internal linking
    12.  Hierarchical Structure

    Nuclino VS freewrite

     
12 of 50 freewrite alternatives