Zen Editor AlternativesText Editors and other similar apps like Zen Editor

Zen Editor is described as 'Zen by Unit is a free, minimal, fast, private writing app. Just open and use' and is a Text Editor in the news & books category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Zen Editor, not only websites but also apps for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux and Google Chrome apps. The best Zen Editor alternative is Zettlr, which is both free and Open Source. Other great sites and apps similar to Zen Editor are Typora, Mark Text, ghostwriter and Rentry.co.

Zen Editor iconZen Editor
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Zen by Unit is a free, minimal, fast, private writing app. Just open and use.

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Zen Editor alternatives page was last updated Mar 20, 2025
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  1. Zettlr icon

    Zettlr

     223 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 Zen Editor

     

    • Zettlr is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Zen Editor.

    • Zettlr is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Zen Editor.

    • Zettlr is Free and Open SourceZen Editor is Free and Proprietary
    • Zettlr is Privacy focusedZen Editor is not according to our users
  2. Typora icon

    Typora

     321 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.  Support for Themes
    3.  Lightweight
    4.  Clean design
    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.  Multiplatform
    10.  Export to PDF
    11.  Spell Checking
    12.  Works Offline

    Typora VS Zen Editor

     

    • Typora is the most popular commercial alternative to Zen Editor.

    • Typora is Paid and ProprietaryZen Editor is Free and Proprietary
    • Typora is LightweightZen Editor is not according to our users
  4. 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.

    103 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 Zen Editor

     
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Typora icon
    Typora

    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 manag...

    https://typora.io
    Learn More
  6. ghostwriter icon

    ghostwriter

     101 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.

    137 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 Zen Editor

     
  7. Rentry.co icon

    Rentry.co

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

    177 Rentry.co alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Live markdown syntax highlighting

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Live Preview
    3.  Publishing
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Syntax Highlighting
    6.  Command line interface
    7.  Tab preview
    8.  Distraction-free Writing

    Rentry.co VS Zen Editor

     

    • Rentry.co is the most popular Web-based & Self-Hosted alternative to Zen Editor.

    • Rentry.co is Free and Open SourceZen Editor is Free and Proprietary
    • Rentry.co is LightweightZen Editor is not according to our users
  8. Tenno icon

    Tenno

     6 likes
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    A live editable Markdown editor that lets you add cells like Excel. You can think of Tenno as a mix of Word and Excel with a touch of Obsidian, Markdown and JavaScript.

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    Tenno screenshot 1

    Tenno Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Live Preview
    3.  No Tracking
    4.  Syntax Highlighting
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  No registration required
    7.  Live editing
    8.  Web-Based
    9.  Tables
    10.  Charts

    Tenno VS Zen Editor

     
  10. StackEdit icon

    StackEdit

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

    83 StackEdit alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Chrome OS
    • Google Chrome
    StackEdit 5 - Split interface (Dark)

    StackEdit Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  WYSIWYG Support
    4. Google Drive icon  Google Drive integration
    5.  Export to PDF
    6.  0data
    7. Tumblr icon  Tumblr integration
    8.  Write files in markdown
    9. Dropbox icon  Dropbox integration

    StackEdit VS Zen Editor

     
  11. iA Writer icon

    iA Writer

     94 likes
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    The key to good writing is not that magical glass of Bordeaux, the right kind of tobacco or that groovy background music. The key is focus. What you need to write well is a spartan setting that allows you to fully concentrate on your text and nothing but your text.

    113 iA Writer alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CH flagSwitzerland

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    iA Writer screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Distraction-free Writing
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Support for MarkDown
    5.  Nested Folders
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Live Preview
    8.  No registration required
    9. LaTeX icon  Support for LaTeX
    10.  Syntax Highlighting
    11.  No Tracking
    12.  Integrated into iOS

    iA Writer VS Zen Editor

     

    • iA Writer is the most popular Android, iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to Zen Editor.

    • iA Writer is Paid and ProprietaryZen Editor is Free and Proprietary
    • iA Writer is Privacy focused and LightweightZen Editor is not according to our users
  12. HedgeDoc icon

    HedgeDoc

     25 likes
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    HedgeDoc (fcommunity-driven fork of CodiMD) is an open-source collaborative markdown editor. With HedgeDoc you can easily collaborate on notes, graphs and even presentations in real-time. All you need to do is to share your note-link to your co-workers, and they’re ready to go.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
    • Docker
    HedgeDoc screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Real time collaboration
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  No registration required
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  No Tracking
    7.  Works Offline

    HedgeDoc VS Zen Editor

     
  13. Fleschkey icon

    Fleschkey

     3 likes
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    Fleschkey is a smart writing assistant that helps improve readability, clarity, and style by analyzing text using the Flesch-Kincaid readability test in real-time.

    License model

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Fleschkey screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  No Tracking
    4.  Embedded media
    5.  Local Storage
    6.  Rich Text Editor
    7.  Embedded video
    8.  Readability
    9.  Writing assistance

    Fleschkey VS Zen Editor

     

    • Fleschkey is the most popular SaaS alternative to Zen Editor.

    • Fleschkey is Paid and ProprietaryZen Editor is Free and Proprietary
    • Fleschkey is Privacy focusedZen Editor is not according to our users
  14. SXMac icon

    SXMac

     1 like
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    SXMac is a light, notes like app that can be used as a rich text editor, markdown editor and preview, code editor with more than 100 supported languages. If you need specific files or anything else in one place.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    SXMac screenshot 1

    Properties

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

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  No Tracking
    4.  Live Preview
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Built-in viewer
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Syntax Highlighting
    9.  Works Offline
    10.  Drag and Drop
    11.  Built-in code editor

    SXMac VS Zen Editor

     
  15. scrutch icon

    scrutch

     6 likes
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    End-to-encrypted, laser-focussed yet elegant editor. No registration, no login, no ads, no tracking, no hassle. Just write. In private or together with others.

    292 scrutch alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    scrutch screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Privacy focused
    4.  Security-focused
    5.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  No Tracking
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  Real time collaboration
    6.  Full-Text Search
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Support for MarkDown
    10.  Distraction-free Writing
    11.  Encrypted Notes
    12.  Collaborative writing

    scrutch VS Zen Editor

     
12 of 79 Zen Editor alternatives