Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Freeplane VS WriteMonkey

Compare Freeplane VS WriteMonkey and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Freeplane logo Freeplane

Freeplane is a powerful and free software for building mind maps.

WriteMonkey logo WriteMonkey

Software for full screen distraction free creative writing. No whistles and bells, just empty screen, you and your words. WriteMonkey is light, fast, and perfectly handy for those who enjoy the simplicity of a typewriter but live in modern times.
  • Freeplane Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-17
  • WriteMonkey Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-28

Freeplane features and specs

  • Open Source
    Freeplane is open-source software, which means it is free to use and has a large community of developers contributing to its improvement and maintenance. Users can also customize the software according to their needs.
  • Cross-Platform
    Freeplane is a cross-platform application that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, providing flexibility and convenience for users irrespective of their preferred OS.
  • Feature-Rich
    Freeplane offers a robust set of features for mind mapping, including node styling, advanced formatting, scriptable tasks, and the ability to integrate with third-party tools, making it suitable for both simple and complex projects.
  • Extensive Customization
    The software allows extensive customization options for creating and managing mind maps. Users can adjust the appearance, functionality, and integrate with other tools as needed.
  • Active Community and Support
    Freeplane has an active user community and abundant online resources, such as forums, tutorials, and documentation, which helps users get support and improve their mind mapping skills.

Possible disadvantages of Freeplane

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features, Freeplane can have a steep learning curve, especially for new users who are not familiar with mind mapping tools. It requires time and effort to become proficient.
  • Overwhelming Interface
    Freeplane's user interface can be overwhelming for beginners as it is packed with numerous options and tools. This might make it less user-friendly compared to more simplistic mind mapping tools.
  • Lack of Real-Time Collaboration
    Freeplane does not support real-time collaboration features, which can be a limitation for teams that need to work on mind maps simultaneously.
  • Occasional Stability Issues
    Some users have reported occasional stability issues and bugs, which can interrupt workflows and require restarts or workarounds.
  • Limited Integration Options
    While Freeplane can be integrated with some third-party tools, it lacks the seamless integration capabilities found in some commercial alternatives, which might be a drawback for users who rely heavily on interconnected productivity tools.

WriteMonkey features and specs

  • Distraction-Free Environment
    WriteMonkey offers a minimalist, full-screen interface, allowing users to focus solely on writing without being distracted by other elements or notifications on their computer.
  • Portability
    The software can be run from a USB stick without needing to be installed on the host computer, which is convenient for users who work on multiple machines.
  • Customization
    WriteMonkey is highly customizable, allowing users to tweak the appearance and functionality to match their writing preferences.
  • Lightweight
    The application is lightweight and doesn't consume many system resources, making it suitable for older or less powerful machines.

Possible disadvantages of WriteMonkey

  • Limited Integrations
    WriteMonkey lacks integration with many popular productivity tools and cloud services, which can be a drawback for users who rely on these integrations.
  • Learning Curve
    The extensive customization options and unique interface may present a learning curve for new users who are accustomed to more conventional word processors.
  • Windows Only
    WriteMonkey is primarily designed for Windows operating systems, which limits its accessibility for users on macOS or Linux.
  • Limited Formatting Options
    The software focuses heavily on plain text, providing limited advanced formatting options compared to full-fledged word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

Analysis of WriteMonkey

Overall verdict

  • Overall, WriteMonkey is highly regarded for what it aims to achieve. It delivers a clean and efficient writing experience that appeals especially to those who find other word processors to be overwhelming or unnecessarily complex for straightforward writing tasks.

Why this product is good

  • WriteMonkey is a popular tool among writers who value minimalism and distraction-free environments. It is designed for those who want to focus solely on the writing process without the clutter of additional features or complex interfaces. Users appreciate its simplicity, customization options, and the way it allows them to concentrate entirely on their text.

Recommended for

    WriteMonkey is especially suited for authors, bloggers, journalists, and anyone who prioritizes a clean, feature-light environment for writing. It's ideal for those who need limited distractions and prefer a minimalist tool that gets out of the way to let them focus on the task of writing.

Freeplane videos

Freeplane Quickstart Guide

More videos:

  • Review - user review: freeplane 127_08 mindmapping tool quick test of hot keys and SVG export
  • Review - user review: freeplane-1.2.7_07 mindmapping tool

WriteMonkey videos

Focuswriter vs WriteMonkey | Week 5 | Vlog #5 | 52 Weeks Later

More videos:

  • Review - Turn Writer into WriteMonkey - Learn Writer

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Freeplane and WriteMonkey)
Brainstorming And Ideation
Markdown Editor
0 0%
100% 100
Digital Whiteboard
100 100%
0% 0
Text Editors
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 Freeplane and WriteMonkey

Freeplane Reviews

  1. More features than Freemind, more active development

    Freeplane began as a fork of the Freemind project. While maintaining comparability with Freemind file format, it has far outpaced in features and development. As of 3/5/2022, the latest Freeplane update (1.9.3) is 3/5/2022 vs Freemind was last updated (1.0.1) 2/5/2016. Active, helpful community.

WriteMonkey Reviews

We have no reviews of WriteMonkey yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, WriteMonkey seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. 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.

Freeplane mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Freeplane yet. Tracking of Freeplane recommendations started around Mar 2021.

WriteMonkey mentions (5)

  • I wish I could have a dark screen on Microsoft Word when I write
    Try WriteMonkey or something similar if you want nice distraction-free writing. You can have full-screen dark-mode with just a few things like word-count and stuff, you can make it work (and even sound) like a typewriter, etc. There are similar apps for Mac, etc. Source: about 3 years ago
  • I want to just get lots of text onto my computer.
    WriteMonkey was the reason why I use Linux / Vim daily now. It was my first foray into a minimal writing environment, and I still love it very much. You'll really like it. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Can someone recommend a free offline word processor please?
    It's weird that it runs as a rom and uses non standard shortcuts Try write Monkey for minimalist word processing https://writemonkey.com/. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Is there a free PC App or Software for download in worldbuilding?
    I've found Obsidian works well for my worldbuilding notes. For actual stories or when I'm focusing on just one document, I tend to prefer something like WriteMonkey. Source: over 4 years ago
  • The โ€˜Duneโ€™ Screenplay Was Written in MS-DOS
    Reminds me of my Masters degree where I used https://writemonkey.com for all my papers and final thesis. With the same Model M I'm typing on right now, when working at home (I had it on a flash pendrive). Man, you can't beat focus with such "zenware" and the clicking of the keyboard, it's almost like a metronome to your creativity. The 40-page is a hard limit, though. And export options must be very few (I used a... Source: almost 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Freeplane and WriteMonkey, you can also consider the following products

Xmind - Xmind is a brainstorming and mind mapping application.

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

FreeMind - FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java.

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

MindMeister - Create, share and collaboratively work on mind maps with MindMeister, the leading online mind mapping software. Includes apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.

iA Writer - Minimal Design, Maximum Focus