ZenWriter AlternativesTop Text Editors & Word Processors like ZenWriter

ZenWriter is described as 'Enjoy a distraction-free, full-screen text editor designed for Windows, offering a zen-like interface to maintain focus and support uninterrupted writing flow' and is a Text Editor in the office & productivity category. There are more than 50 alternatives to ZenWriter for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Web-based, Linux and iPhone apps. The best ZenWriter alternative is Typora. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try FocusWriter or Foam. Other great apps like ZenWriter are Marknote, Rentry.co, Nuclino and Pinery.

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Alternatives list

  1. Typora icon

    Typora

     326 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.

    178 Typora alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Electron
    Typora screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Typora as an Alternative to ZenWriter
    Guest
    Negative
    -4

    Typora is mainly for people who need to write math equations or code rather than writing.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    ZenWriter Icon
    Typora icon

    • Some users think Typora is a great ZenWriter alternative, some don't.

    • Typora is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to ZenWriter.

    • Typora is the most popular commercial alternative to ZenWriter.

    • Typora is Paid and ProprietaryZenWriter is also Paid and Proprietary
    • Typora is Lightweight, Minimalistic and CustomizableZenWriter is not according to our users
  2. FocusWriter icon

    FocusWriter

     208 likes

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

    103 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    FocusWriter screenshot 1
     
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    1
    25
    Comments about FocusWriter as an Alternative to ZenWriter
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Has most of the features offered by zenwriter, hides all distractions, has optional typewriter machine sounds, daily goal, multiple themes you can choose from or create yourself and the huge plus of linux portability.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    ZenWriter Icon
    FocusWriter icon

    • Most users think FocusWriter is a great ZenWriter alternative.

    • FocusWriter is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to ZenWriter.

    • FocusWriter is Free and Open SourceZenWriter is Paid and Proprietary
    • FocusWriter is Customizable and LightweightZenWriter is not according to our users
  4. Foam icon

    Foam

     52 likes

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

    250 Foam alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Visual Studio Code
    Foam screenshot 1
     

    • Foam is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to ZenWriter.

    • Foam is Free and Open SourceZenWriter is Paid and Proprietary
  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. Marknote icon

    Marknote

     21 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
    Marknote screenshot 1
     
  7. Rentry.co icon

    Rentry.co

     55 likes

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

    183 Rentry.co alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    Live markdown syntax highlighting
     

    • Rentry.co is the most popular Web-based alternative to ZenWriter.

    • Rentry.co is Free and ProprietaryZenWriter is Paid and Proprietary
    • Rentry.co is Minimalistic and LightweightZenWriter is not according to our users
  8. Nuclino icon

    Nuclino

     133 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.

    331 Nuclino alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

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

    • Nuclino is the most popular Android, iPhone & iPad alternative to ZenWriter.

    • Nuclino is Freemium and ProprietaryZenWriter is Paid and Proprietary
    • Nuclino is Lightweight and MinimalisticZenWriter is not according to our users
  10. Pinery icon

    Pinery

     10 likes

    Combines Markdown writing, live preview, and powerful design controls with instant exports in ePub, PDF, and HTML formats. Open format Markdown file storage, no vendor lock-in, customizable themes, and full privacy with local or iCloud storage on Mac.

    27 Pinery alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Pinery screenshot 1
     
  11. iA Writer icon

    iA Writer

     96 likes

    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.

    120 iA Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    iA Writer screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about iA Writer as an Alternative to ZenWriter
    tuva-hayabi
    Positive
    0

    iA Writer is sold as a one-time-purchase license, ZenWriter only offers a subscription plan.

    ZenWriter Icon
    iA Writer icon
    • iA Writer is Paid and ProprietaryZenWriter is also Paid and Proprietary
    • iA Writer is Privacy focused and LightweightZenWriter is not according to our users
  12. WriteMonkey icon

    WriteMonkey

     130 likes

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

    105 WriteMonkey alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    The interface, full screen.
     
  13. Ferrite icon

    Ferrite

     3 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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Ferrite screenshot 1
     
  14. Notepack icon

    Notepack

     16 likes

    Privacy oriented, without vendor lock in note organizer, todo list desktop application. Work offline with text, markdown and pdf files.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Markdown support
     
  15. WriteForward icon

    WriteForward

     1 like

    WriteForward is a distraction-free writing tool designed to boost drafting momentum and help perfectionists overcome editing loops. As you write, finished paragraphs move up to a read-only area; only your two most recent paragraphs stay visible for context, with previous...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    WriteForward screenshot 1
     
12 of 65 ZenWriter alternatives