ghostwriter AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Text Editors

The best Text Editor alternative to ghostwriter is Zettlr, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to ghostwriter and loads of them are Text Editors so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Text Editor alternatives to ghostwriter are Typora, Pulsar Editor, MarkText and Clearly Markdown.

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Most ghostwriter alternatives are Text Editors, but you can also narrow the list to Note-taking Tools or Word Processors. Another popular filter is Open Source.
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Alternatives
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Alternatives list

  1. Zettlr icon
     272 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.

    284 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2018

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    Good alternative?
     
  2. Typora icon
     334 likes

    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.

    237 Typora alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2015

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Electron
    • Visual Studio Code
    Good alternative?
     
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  3. Pulsar Editor icon
     51 likes

    A Community-led Hyper-Hackable Text Editor, built on Electron. and based on everything we love about our favorite editors.

    99 Pulsar Editor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2022

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Chrome OS
    • BSD
    • Electron
    Good alternative?
     
  4. MarkText icon
     122 likes

    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.

    155 MarkText alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2018

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  5. Clean, native Markdown editor for macOS with syntax highlighting, real-time GitHub Flavored Markdown and Mermaid diagram preview, KaTeX math support, synchronized side-by-side editing, QuickLook integration, PDF export, format shortcuts, and no subscriptions.

    93 Clearly Markdown alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Good alternative?
     
  6. FocusWriter icon
     216 likes

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

    113 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2010

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    Good alternative?
     
  7. Ferrite icon
     14 likes

    Fast, native text editor supporting Markdown, JSON, YAML, and TOML with live preview, syntax highlighting, Mermaid diagrams, CSV/TSV viewing, collapsible trees, Git integration, regex find/replace, customizable themes, zen mode, and multi-language support.

    66 Ferrite alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Good alternative?
     
  8. Rentry.co icon
     57 likes

    Rentry.co is a markdown pastebin and publishing service with preview, custom urls and editing. Fast, simple and free.

    213 Rentry.co alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2017

    Platforms

    • Online
    Good alternative?
     
  9. StackEdit icon
     92 likes

    Full-featured, open-source Markdown editor based on PageDown, the Markdown library used by Stack Overflow and the other Stack Exchange sites.

    100 StackEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2013

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Chrome OS
    • Google Chrome
    Good alternative?
     
  10. Downright icon
     9 likes

    Native macOS Markdown reader and editor with Document, Split, and Source views, customizable themes, Finder and Quick Look integration, real-time file monitoring, broad Markdown support, and the ability to review external file changes. Free and MIT licensed.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Homebrew
    Good alternative?
     
  11. 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.

    159 iA Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2011

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  12. novelWriter icon
     35 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.

    116 novelWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2019

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Qt
    • Python
    Good alternative?
     
12 of 77 ghostwriter alternatives