Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to KeenWrite, a Desktop Text Editor

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. KeenWrite, a Desktop Text Editor launched in 2021; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   FocusWrite▲115

   A local-first writing app with focus modes.

   12d ago · focuswrite.app · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Brackets 1.0▲190

   An open-source text editor for web designers by Adobe

   2014 · github.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Atom▲145

   A hackable text editor for the 21st Century

   2014 · github.blog · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Fulvid▲86

   A standalone desktop editor for Markdown and MDX

   Sep 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Atavist▲116

   A web-based word processor as beautiful as Medium

   2015 · magazine.atavist.com · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Editorially▲95

   Collaborative writing tool

   2013 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Squire▲123

   The <textarea> of the future. A HTML5 rich text editor.

   2014 · neilj.github.io · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Typewrite▲103

   Real-time collaborative writing

   2014 · typewrite.io · its alternatives →

9. 9
   A text editor with a programming language▲6

   2023 · lambdaway.free.fr · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Paragraph Notes▲155

    A private Markdown notes app for Mac

    Sep 2026 · paragraphnotes.md · its alternatives →

11. 11
    MuM▲93

    A reading-first Markdown engine for macOS

    24d ago · mum.jiker.ai · its alternatives →

12. 12
    CotEditor▲102

    The free plain-text editor for OS X

    2014 · coteditor.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Macaw▲90

    A simple code editor for Swift

    2017 · github.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    ShallowParse▲6

    A text editor for creative writing

    2014 · shallowparse.com · its alternatives →

15. 15PA
    Polyphony – A realtime collaborative text editing lib for web/mobile▲8

    2014 · polyphony-ot.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Ghostwriter▲5

    A distraction-free Markdown editor for Windows and Linux

    2016 · wereturtle.github.io · its alternatives →

17. 17
    A WYSIWYM Markdown editor and brainstorming tool on the web▲5

    Minimal yet powerful writing app

    2022 · wrighter.vercel.app · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Collaborative text editing in ~220 lines of JavaScript▲5

    2021 · git.ce9e.org · its alternatives →

19. 19
    sky▲1

    A text editor written in the Skew programming language

    2016 · evanw.github.io · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Headcache: note-taking program with markdown, search, external editing▲7

    2017 · github.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    THORN – a local-first writing app made with Yjs▲7

    2022 · thorn.so · its alternatives →

22. 22AK
    A keyboard-centric flowchart editor▲6

    2021 · knotend.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Scribe▲4

    A rich text editor framework for the web platform.

    2016 · guardian.github.io · its alternatives →

24. 24UÉ
    Un éditeur de texte extensible▲5

    2024 · lambdaway.fr · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →