The Best iA Writer AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools & Text Editors like iA Writer

iA Writer is described as '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' and is a popular Note-taking tool in the news & books category. There are more than 100 alternatives to iA Writer for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, Web-based and iPhone apps. The best iA Writer alternative is Joplin, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like iA Writer are Typora, Zettlr, Simplenote and ghostwriter.

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Alternatives list

  1. Joplin icon

    Joplin

     941 likes

    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.

    203 Joplin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Joplin screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Joplin vs iA Writer Comments
    diver_down
    Positive
    0

    FOSS and (most importantly!) works on ALL platforms. Ubuntu, Manjaro, iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS... it will sync effortless between them. Oh, and it's also E2EE which is mandatory for good security practices as far as I'm concerned. Thanks L.C. <3

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceiA Writer is Paid and Proprietary
    • Joplin is Minimalistic and DecentralizediA Writer is not according to our users
  2. Typora icon

    Typora

     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.

    203 Typora alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Electron
    • Visual Studio Code
    Typora screenshot 1
     
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    6
    Typora vs iA Writer Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    2

    Very nice interface, themes, markdown support is awesome. Exactly what I was looking for. I thought it was impossible to find a quality software of this type on Windows.

    Alec Kinnear
    Positive
    0

    Typora is great if you like to write in preview mode. iAWriter is better if you prefer to see Markdown in the edit window and have access to a preview window (old WordPerfect paradigm). Both are excellent apps. Typora is great for Markdown tables.

    arximughal
    Positive
    -5

    It's free and opensource and packed with a lot of useful features. I just love writing in Typora.

    3 of 6 comments
    • Typora is Paid and ProprietaryiA Writer is also Paid and Proprietary
    • Typora is Minimalistic and CustomizableiA Writer is not according to our users
  4. Zettlr icon

    Zettlr

     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
    Zettlr Main Window (dark mode)
     
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    1
    Zettlr vs iA Writer Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    iA Writer is for writing longer texts. Zettlr is for note taking.

    • Zettlr is Free and Open SourceiA Writer is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Daino Notes icon
    Daino Notes

    Offers fast, distraction-free note-taking via a high-performance editor with real-time Markdown, local-first storage, image support, Kanban task boards, intuitive drag-and-drop, keyboard shortcuts, configurable themes, fast searc...

    https://www.get-notes.com
    Learn More
  6. Simplenote icon

    Simplenote

     611 likes

    Cloud-based, open-source note-taking app supporting plain text notes, lists, and ideas with real-time sync, multi-device support, version history, markdown, tagging, collaborative editing, no ads, and free registration required for all cloud features.

    184 Simplenote alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Simplenote screenshot 1
     
  8. ghostwriter icon

    ghostwriter

     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
    ghostwriter screenshot 1
     
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    1
    ghostwriter vs iA Writer Comments
    NA0341
    Positive
    0

    Fast, lean, open source, many useful features, well integrated with different Markdown parsers - Hemmingway mode. Although for anything beyond just writing I'd suggest something more advanced - like Obsidian.

    • ghostwriter is Free and Open SourceiA Writer is Paid and Proprietary
    • ghostwriter is a Text Editor iA Writer is a Note-taking Tool
  9. HelixNotes icon

    HelixNotes

     20 likes

    HelixNotes is a local markdown note-taking app built with Rust, Tauri 2.0, and SvelteKit. Your notes are standard .md files on your filesystem - sync with whatever you want or nothing at all.

    146 HelixNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • F-Droid
    HelixNotes screenshot 1
     
  10. FocusWriter icon

    FocusWriter

     214 likes

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

    105 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    FocusWriter screenshot 1
     
  11. QOwnNotes icon

    QOwnNotes

     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

    Application types

    Platforms

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

    MarkText

     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.

    128 MarkText alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    GitHub Flavored Markdown
     
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    1
    MarkText vs iA Writer Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Interface is great, and you can edit the font from the preferences.

    • MarkText is Free and Open SourceiA Writer is Paid and Proprietary
    • MarkText is a Text Editor iA Writer is a Note-taking Tool
  13. Marknote icon

    Marknote

     29 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft
    Marknote screenshot 1
     
  14. Bear icon

    Bear

     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

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Bear screenshot 1
     
  15. Nuclino icon

    Nuclino

     138 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • iPad
    Nuclino screenshot 1
     
12 of 135 iA Writer alternatives