Highland Pro alternatives · Writing
Open-source alternatives to Highland Pro
Highland Pro is not described as open source on its own site. 12 of the 67 other writing tools in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.
Highland Pro is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually. All of them are free or have a free plan.
12 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from
How each one differs from Highland Pro
- Free plan · from $11.99 one-time
Beat
Free, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS
- Beat starts at $11.99 one-time for the iOS app. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- Beat has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Beat is open source, according to its own site.
- Highland Pro also covers Markdown and templates.
- Free
LibreOffice Writer
Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux
- LibreOffice Writer is free. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- LibreOffice Writer has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LibreOffice Writer lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists an iOS app.
- Free plan · from $7.99/mo
Typst
Markup-based typesetting system with a collaborative web app
- Typst starts at $7.99 per month, billed monthly ($79.99 billed yearly). Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- Typst has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Typst lists a web app.
- Only Typst lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Free
Zettlr
Free, open-source Markdown editor for academic writing
- Zettlr is free. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- Zettlr has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zettlr lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists an iOS app.
- Free
Manuskript
Free, open-source novel planner with an outliner and index cards
- Manuskript is free. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- Manuskript has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Manuskript lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists an iOS app.
- Free
novelWriter
Free, open-source plain-text editor for writing novels
- novelWriter is free. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- novelWriter has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only novelWriter lists Linux and Windows apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Free
ghostwriter
Free, open-source Markdown editor from KDE for focused writing
- ghostwriter is free. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- ghostwriter has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only ghostwriter lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Free
MarkText
Free, open-source Markdown editor with in-place live rendering
- MarkText is free. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- MarkText has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only MarkText lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists an iOS app.
- Free plan · from $3.49/mo
bibisco
Novel planning and writing software built around characters
- bibisco starts at $3.49 per month for Everywhere sync; desktop Supporters Edition is $69 one-time. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- bibisco has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only bibisco lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- bibisco is open source, according to its own site.
- Free
Trelby
Free, open-source screenwriting program for desktop
- Trelby is free. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- Trelby has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Trelby lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists an iOS app.
- Free plan · from $4.99/mo
LanguageTool
Grammar and style checker for more than 30 languages
- LanguageTool starts at $4.99 per month on a 2-year plan ($119.80); $69.90 billed annually. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- LanguageTool has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LanguageTool lists a web app.
- Only LanguageTool lists a Windows app.
- Free
FocusWriter
Free distraction-free word processor for Windows and Linux
- FocusWriter is free. Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- FocusWriter has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only FocusWriter lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists macOS and iOS apps.
Common questions
Is there an open-source alternative to Highland Pro?
Yes. Beat, LibreOffice Writer, Typst, Zettlr, Manuskript, novelWriter, ghostwriter, MarkText and 4 more are open source, according to their own sites.
Is Highland Pro open source?
Highland Pro is not described as open source on its own site. The listing was checked on Oct 6, 2026 against the pages it cites.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Highland Pro: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.