Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FocusWriter VS Markdown Here

Compare FocusWriter VS Markdown Here and see what are their differences

FocusWriter logo FocusWriter

FocusWriter is a fullscreen, distraction-free word processor designed to immerse you as much as...

Markdown Here logo Markdown Here

Google Chrome, Firefox, and Thunderbird extension that lets you write email in Markdown and render...
  • FocusWriter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18
  • Markdown Here Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

FocusWriter features and specs

  • Distraction-Free Interface
    FocusWriter offers a clean, full-screen interface that helps minimize distractions, allowing writers to concentrate solely on their writing.
  • Customizable Themes
    The software provides multiple themes and customization options, enabling users to tailor their writing environment to their preferences.
  • Goal Setting
    FocusWriter includes goal tracking features such as daily word counts and session targets, which can help writers stay motivated and measure their productivity.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    FocusWriter is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
  • Minimal Resource Usage
    The application is lightweight and consumes minimal system resources, ensuring smooth performance even on older machines.
  • Auto-Save and Recovery
    FocusWriter offers auto-save and session recovery features, which protect users from losing work due to accidental closures or system crashes.
  • Free and Open-Source
    The software is free to use and open-source, fostering community contributions and allowing users to modify the software if they have the technical skills.

Possible disadvantages of FocusWriter

  • Limited Advanced Features
    FocusWriter lacks some advanced features found in other writing software, such as advanced grammar checking and extensive formatting options.
  • Basic Export Options
    The application offers limited export options primarily to plain text and Rich Text Format (RTF), which may not be suitable for all users.
  • Limited Integration
    FocusWriter does not offer extensive integration with other productivity tools and services, which could be a drawback for users who require seamless workflow management.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might face a learning curve due to the minimalistic interface and lack of in-app tutorials or guides.

Markdown Here features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Markdown Here is available as a browser extension for multiple platforms, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. This ensures that users can use it across different browsers without compatibility issues.
  • Ease of Use
    The extension simplifies the process of writing in Markdown for emails and provides a quick conversion to formatted HTML, making it user-friendly even for those new to Markdown.
  • Consistent Email Formatting
    With Markdown Here, users can write emails in Markdown, which allows for a neat and consistent look. The tool converts the Markdown into HTML, ensuring that the formatting is preserved across different email clients.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Markdown Here encourages community contributions, allowing users to suggest improvements and customize the tool based on their needs.

Possible disadvantages of Markdown Here

  • Browser Dependence
    As a browser extension, its functionality is limited to supported browsers. Users relying on unsupported browsers will not be able to utilize the tool.
  • Limited to Email Clients
    The primary focus of Markdown Here is on rendering Markdown text in emails. Users seeking Markdown support in other applications beyond email will find this tool limited.
  • Rendering Limitations
    Some complex Markdown features or custom styling may not render correctly when converted to HTML, depending on the email client's capabilities and restrictions.
  • Potential Security Concerns
    As with any browser extension, there are inherent security risks, such as potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Users need to regularly update the extension to mitigate these risks.

Analysis of FocusWriter

Overall verdict

  • FocusWriter is generally considered a good choice for writers who prioritize a clean and focused writing workspace. Its simplicity and customization options make it suitable for those who want a straightforward tool without the distractions of more complex writing software.

Why this product is good

  • FocusWriter is a popular choice for writers who seek a distraction-free writing environment. It offers a minimalist interface that helps users concentrate on writing by hiding toolbars and menus until they are needed. It is also highly customizable, allowing users to change themes, fonts, and background images to suit their preferences. Moreover, FocusWriter includes features such as daily goals, timers, and basic statistics, which can help motivate and track writing progress.

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.

FocusWriter videos

Focuswriter Review

More videos:

  • Review - FocusWriter - App Reviews
  • Review - Writing Software - FocusWriter

Markdown Here videos

No Markdown Here videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FocusWriter and Markdown Here)
Text Editors
87 87%
13% 13
Markdown Editor
82 82%
18% 18
Writing Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare FocusWriter and Markdown Here

FocusWriter Reviews

11 Best Scrivener Alternatives
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 you do is write.

Markdown Here Reviews

We have no reviews of Markdown Here yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, FocusWriter seems to be a lot more popular than Markdown Here. While we know about 27 links to FocusWriter, we've tracked only 1 mention of Markdown Here. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

FocusWriter mentions (27)

  • WriterdeckOS
    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 / 8 months ago
  • WriterdeckOS
    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 everything I need, very little I don't and there is a frame/mindset shift to using the same tool for a specific task. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Ensล: write now, edit later
    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 / over 2 years ago
  • A collection of useful Mac Apps
    FocusWriter - Price: Free Distraction-free writing app for Mac that allows you to focus on your writing. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What do you people write on?
    You can get it here: https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

Markdown Here mentions (1)

  • Cheat-sheet maker; a react app for creating and sharing cheat sheets (with markdown)
    If I got your point correctly, I think markdown is a great solution for this. For this particular app, I used react-markdown as parser but there are other libraries of course. Source: over 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FocusWriter and Markdown Here, you can also consider the following products

Scrivener - Scrivener is a content-generation tool for composing and structuring documents.

markdown to web - Convert markdown to online web page

iA Writer - Minimal Design, Maximum Focus

Markdown to PDF - Super simple way to get your markdown files to PDF

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.

Dillinger - joemccann has 95 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.