
Standard Notes
Notion
Obsidian.net
Scrivener
Reedsy
Novelist
CipherWrite.com is the #1 free book writing app and secure writing software. Write your novel, journal, or memoir with zero-knowledge encryption. Better than Hermit and Standard Notes.

Scrivener
iA Writer
Typora
WriteMonkey
Byword
WriteRoom
OmmWriter
FocusWriter is a fullscreen, distraction-free word processor designed to immerse you as much as...

Which is more popular?
Based on our record, FocusWriter seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 27 times since March 2021.
Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.
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| Website | cipherwrite.com | gottcode.org |
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| Company | Startup from India · 1 - 9 employees · 2026 | — |
| Listed in |
In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.


CipherWrite is a privacy-first writing and journaling app with true end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption, designed for novels, private journals, and long-form writing that only you can read. It runs as a free, cross-platform PWA on Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, with client-side...
No description of FocusWriter yet.
What each product offers, as listed by its team.


Possible disadvantages
An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.


Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
FocusWriter is particularly recommended for writers, authors, bloggers, and anyone who needs a distraction-free environment to focus on their writing tasks. It is ideal for users who prefer a lightweight, simple application and do not require advanced formatting or publishing features.
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How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.


As answered by people managing CipherWrite and FocusWriter.
CipherWrite's answer
Why writers choose CipherWrite
Your writing stays truly private. Everything is encrypted on your own device with AES-256 and Argon2id before it ever leaves. The keys live with you, not on our servers, so even we cannot read a word of it.
AI that helps without eating your book. Tools like Sudowrite and Grammarly only work by shipping your whole manuscript to the cloud. CipherWrite's AI only ever sees the snippet you hand it, so you get brainstorming, humanizing, and editing help while your full draft never leaves your control.
Writing Guides that teach the craft. Deep, research-backed guides on story structure, the psychology of unforgettable characters, world-building, narrative pacing, and subtext. Most apps hand you a blank page and walk away. We hand you a blank page and a writing education to go with it.
A Critical Thinking Gym for your brain. You write your own argument first, the AI challenges you with Socratic questions, then scores your reasoning and shows your blind spots. It sharpens your thinking instead of doing it for you.
Built for authors, not repurposed from a notes app. Real chapter structure, a proper book workflow, and Kindle-ready export, all built in from the start.
Works everywhere and free to start. Runs in any browser on any device, with a genuinely free tier. Privacy is not something we make you pay extra for.
In short: CipherWrite is the only writing app that combines real zero-knowledge encryption, AI that never sees your whole book, craft guides that teach you to write better, and a thinking gym that sharpens your mind, all in one free app that runs anywhere.
CipherWrite's answer
In an age where every keystroke is tracked, scanned, and graded by opaque algorithms, writing in a conventional cloud editor means your private drafts and journals are being mined for data. CipherWrite was built to be different a writing sanctuary where you can finally be alone with your own mind.
Your words are encrypted on your device with AES-256 before they ever touch the cloud, secured by Argon2id. The keys never exist on our servers, so even if CipherWrite were compromised, your data stays unreadable. It's true zero-knowledge privacy: not even our team can see what you write.
Beyond the blank page, CipherWrite helps you grow as a writer. Its Adaptive Creative AI respects your boundaries brainstorm ideas, humanize drafts, and check readability without your work being used for AI training. Deep, research-backed Writing Guides teach the craft itself, from story structure and character psychology to world-building and narrative pacing. And the Critical Thinking Gym turns reasoning into a daily workout: you think first, AI challenges you with Socratic questions, then scores you on the nine Paul–Elder intellectual standards so the AI stays a mirror, never a crutch.
CipherWrite's answer
I was going through a difficult time. Every morning I would wake up feeling overwhelmed, carrying around thoughts and emotions that I didn't know how to process. Most of my friends were busy, and honestly, I didn't really have anyone I felt comfortable talking to about some personal things.
One day, I picked up an old diary and started writing everything down. It helped, but I constantly worried that someone might read it because many of my thoughts were deeply personal.
As a developer, I thought, "Why not build a secure digital space for myself?"
That idea eventually became CipherWrite.
My first goal was simple: privacy. I wanted a place where I could write freely without worrying about someone reading my thoughts. So I designed the platform around that idea and built a writing space where privacy came first.
As I continued writing every day, I noticed something surprising—I felt lighter. Writing had genuinely helped me process my thoughts and emotions. What started as a tool for myself slowly became something much bigger.
I've always wanted to build a SaaS product, and I've also dreamed of writing books one day. As I spent more time using the app, I realized it could become a safe space not only for private journaling but also for writers and authors who needed a distraction-free place to think, create, and write without fear of losing ownership of their work.
The first version was incredibly simple. It wasn't polished, and it had only the features I personally needed. But because I used it every single day, I kept discovering small things that could make the experience better. Every improvement came from solving a problem I had while writing.
Over time, CipherWrite evolved into much more than a private journal. I added tools for brainstorming, organizing ideas, critical thinking, creativity, and long-form writing. Some features were inspired by my own workflow, while others came from listening to people who enjoyed using the platform.
Building it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It started from a difficult chapter when I simply needed a place to empty my mind. Today, it has become the writing space I wish had existed when I first needed it—a place where people can think freely, write honestly, and create without worrying about privacy.
I still use CipherWrite every day. It's still the first place I go whenever I need to organize my thoughts, write down ideas, or simply clear my mind. In many ways, I'm still building the product for the same person who first opened that old diary—the only difference is that now I'm hoping it can help others the same way it helped me.
CipherWrite's answer
CipherWrite is for privacy-conscious writers. Mainly authors and novelists drafting unpublished books, plus private journalers and journalists, who want AI writing tools without ever letting anyone, including the app itself, read their work.
Share your experience with using CipherWrite and FocusWriter. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.


We have no reviews of CipherWrite yet. Be the first one to post
Scrivener may be more complicated than FocusWriter, but if you want simplicity or minimalism, FocusWriter is worth considering. There are no elaborate formatting options or research notes to tinker around with so all...
Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.


Tracking CipherWrite since Mar 2026.
Https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/#download is Qt based so that'd get you most of it, last time I compiled it the deps where Qt/SDL. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
I like https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/ and have used it for years and years, you can configure the look and feel pretty extensively. Lots of ways to skin that cat (especially if like me you are a linux user) but focuswriter does... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
Reminds me of the (dead) RoughDraft mac app by 43 Folders(?). There is also FocusWriter - opensource and multi-platform. https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
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