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

     1075 likes
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    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.

    157 Obsidian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Obsidian screenshot 1
     
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    2
    15
    Comments about Obsidian as an Alternative to Zettlr
    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.
    Zettlr Icon
    Obsidian icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Obsidian is a great Zettlr alternative.

    • Obsidian is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Zettlr.

    • Obsidian is the most popular free alternative to Zettlr.

    • Obsidian is Freemium and ProprietaryZettlr is Free and Open Source
  2. Typora icon

    Typora

     325 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.

    174 Typora alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Electron
    Typora screenshot 1
     
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    9

    • Almost everyone thinks Typora is a great Zettlr alternative.

    • Typora is the most popular commercial alternative to Zettlr.

    • Typora is Paid and ProprietaryZettlr is Free and Open Source
    • Typora is Minimalistic and CustomizableZettlr is not according to our users
  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. Manuskript icon

    Manuskript

     168 likes
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    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.

    117 Manuskript alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

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

    QOwnNotes

     96 likes
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    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.

    258 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

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

    ghostwriter

     108 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.

    136 ghostwriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

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

    Mark Text

     119 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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    GitHub Flavored Markdown
     
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    2
    8
    Comments about Mark Text as an Alternative to Zettlr
    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.
    Zettlr Icon
    Mark Text icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Mark Text is a great Zettlr alternative.

    • Mark Text is Free and Open SourceZettlr is also Free and Open Source
  11. FocusWriter icon

    FocusWriter

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

    99 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

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

    StackEdit

     90 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.

    79 StackEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

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

    Heynote

     19 likes
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    Heynote is a dedicated scratchpad for developers. It functions as a large persistent text buffer where you can write down anything you like. Works great for that Slack message you don't want to accidentally send, a JSON response from an API you're working with, notes...

    55 Heynote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Heynote screenshot 1
     
  14. FuseBase icon

    FuseBase

     91 likes
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    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.

    211 FuseBase alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Google Chrome
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Internal and external collaboration.
     
  15. Ulysses icon

    Ulysses

     69 likes
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    Ulysses is a text editor for creative writers. Used by bloggers, poets, students and published novelists all over the world, it offers an integrated environment to brainstorm, draft, revise and even submit text on a professional level.

    122 Ulysses alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Ulysses screenshot 1
     
12 of 41 Zettlr alternatives