A minimal writing and worldbuilding app that lets you draft stories, organize story elements, and connect everything in one unified workspace.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Application type
Platforms
- Online
- Global
+1
Zettlr Alternatives
Apps similar to Zettlr include Obsidian, which has a free version. Other options are Joplin, Logseq, Notesnook and AppFlowy. Note-taking Tools like Zettlr are a crowded field, with more than 100 alternatives for Mac, Windows, Linux, the web and iPhone.
filter to find the best alternatives
Most Zettlr alternatives are Note-taking Tools, but you can also narrow the list to Text Editors or Todo List Managers. Another popular filter is Open Source.
Alternatives list
Deckle is an all-in-one writing, formatting, and publishing app for novelists. Write and structure your manuscript, preview how your book will look in print, and prepare it for publication — all in one place.
Cost / License
- Paid
- Proprietary
Platforms
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
+1
EtherPK is a markdown and wikilink based PKMS / note taking app with backlinks, sync, mobile UI, E2E encryption, AI and MCP integration.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Source Available (Elastic-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Platforms
- Online
- Self-Hosted
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Docker
United Kingdom
Understory is a Markdown notes app for the Mac. Inspired by Niklas Luhmann's Zettelkasten system, it's the notes app that gets better with each additional note. Notes can be linked and structured in an outline, making it ideal for discovering and forming new connections...
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Application type
Platforms
- Mac
United States
A distraction-free writing app for novelists whose AI never writes your prose — it tracks characters, checks consistency, and keeps your structure in view.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Application type
Platforms
- Online
Slovakia
EU
+2
A cross-platform Markdown editor for macOS, Windows, Linux, and the browser. It combines a professional writing experience with team collaboration and AI integration in one fast, native app.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Application type
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
United Arab Emirates
Our goal is to be the CotEditor of Markdown editors, i.e. elegant, powerful, configurable, and native inside out.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Platforms
- Mac
+1
AbelNotes is an open-source handwritten note-taking app built for technical work. It renders LaTeX math natively with searchable source, lets you import and annotate PDFs, and offers eight paper types including Cornell, isometric and music staff, with pressure-sensitive pens.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application type
Platforms
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- Android Tablet
+2
52 Chat Notes alternativesA native macOS app that reimagines note-taking. Capture ideas in a familiar chat interface, organize with stacks, and dive deeper with threads.
Cost / License
- Free
- Proprietary
Application type
Platforms
- Mac
A fast, native markdown viewer built for the AI era. Browse folders, render LaTeX and Mermaid diagrams, and read AI-generated docs beautifully — all offline, under 15MB.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- United States
+3
Writing platform for authors that combines hierarchical manuscript organization, distraction-free drafting, offline access, character and world-building notes, AI editing suggestions requiring approval, progress tracking, and secure collaboration.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Application type
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Chrome OS
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- United States
+5
One simple, clean place to write continuously for a set time without distraction — think through a new idea, write your next script, reflect on an event, whatever.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source (MIT)
Application type
Platforms
- Mac
+1
