Zettlr AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Text Editors

The best Text Editor alternative to Zettlr is Obsidian, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Zettlr and many of them are Text Editors so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Text Editor alternatives to Zettlr are Typora, Beaver Notes, Manuskript and QOwnNotes.

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Zettlr alternatives are mainly Text Editors, but if you're looking for Note-taking Tools or Todo List Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Zettlr.
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Alternatives list

  1. Obsidian icon

    Obsidian

     1103 likes

    Privacy-oriented note-taking app for non-linear thinking, blending knowledge graph creation with wiki-style linking. Supports Markdown, end-to-end encryption, and plugins for customization. Offers distraction-free mode, tags, themes, syntax highlighting, and operates offline without tracking.

    194 Obsidian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • AppImage
    Obsidian screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Obsidian vs Zettlr Comments
    SolarDesalination
    Positive
    0

    It's more advanced than Zettlr on certain features related to navigation and add-ons.

    Guest
    Negative
    2

    Obsidian's editor is definitely more likeable that Zettlr (which has a buggy quality) but it does not support writers for things like exporting and references. Obsidian is really just notes, so it's a better alternative to Evernote.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Obsidian is Freemium and ProprietaryZettlr is Free and Open Source
  2. Typora icon

    Typora

     327 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.

    177 Typora alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Electron
    Typora screenshot 1
     
  5. Ad
  6. Manuskript icon

    Manuskript

     169 likes

    Open-source software offering a hierarchical outliner, distraction-free editor, character management, plot tools, Snowflake method support, section multi-organization, customizable writing workflows, cross-platform availability, and export to standard formats.

    123 Manuskript alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Manuskript screenshot 1
     
  7. QOwnNotes icon

    QOwnNotes

     96 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.

    272 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

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

    ghostwriter

     110 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.

    139 ghostwriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    ghostwriter screenshot 1
     
  10. MarkText icon

    MarkText

     121 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.

    107 MarkText alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    GitHub Flavored Markdown
     
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    2
    MarkText vs Zettlr Comments
    Marco Bartoli
    0

    Too barebones for my taste. Makes it harder to have a nested notes structure (aka personal wiki). No folder pane, no table of contents. Might however be a useful option for single notes or distraction-free "just write" cases.

    Guest
    Positive
    2

    Mark Text is better than almost every other Markdown editor out there because it runs on all major platforms but mostly because it is a true single-pane WYSIWYG editor. No two-panes. You edit directly in your preview text.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • MarkText is Free and Open SourceZettlr is also Free and Open Source
  11. FocusWriter icon

    FocusWriter

     208 likes

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

    102 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    FocusWriter screenshot 1
     
  12. StackEdit icon

    StackEdit

     90 likes

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

    81 StackEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Chrome OS
    • Google Chrome
    StackEdit 5 - Split interface (Dark)
     
  13. 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.

    121 iA Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    iA Writer screenshot 1
     
  14. Bluefish Editor icon

    Bluefish Editor

     162 likes

    Bluefish is a powerful editor targeted towards programmers and webdesigners, with many options to write websites, scripts and programming code. Bluefish supports many programming and markup languages, and it focuses on editing dynamic and interactive websites.

    213 Bluefish Editor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    Bluefish Editor screenshot 1
     
  15. FuseBase icon

    FuseBase

     92 likes

    Combines AI-powered client portals, unlimited external accounts, internal workspaces, collaborative document editing, smart task management, and no-code knowledge bases with smart documents, supporting 2000+ embeds for streamlined project delivery and feedback.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Google Chrome
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Internal and external collaboration.
     
12 of 43 Zettlr alternatives