Calmly Writer vs Cold Turkey Writer

Calmly Writer

• Writers who want a blank page and very few controls
• People who like Markdown but not seeing its syntax
• Buyers who prefer a single payment to a subscription
• Households that mix Windows, Mac and Linux computers

Cold Turkey Writer

• Writers who want everything else on the computer shut out until a quota is done
• First drafts written against a word count or a timer
• People who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription

Calmly Writer

• The desktop license does not cover Android; the Android app is a separate purchase on Google Play with no trial.
• No iPhone or iPad app is listed.
• Files are local with no cloud service of its own; the site suggests saving into a Dropbox or Google Drive folder to sync.
• The free online version is a limited preview without backups, comments, writing targets or PDF export.

Cold Turkey Writer

• Windows and macOS only: the vendor says Linux, ChromeOS, Android and iOS are not supported.
• Files open and save as plain text (.txt) only, so formatting has to be finished in another editor.
• Soundtracks, the dark theme, the copy and paste toggle and the key-disabling options need Writer Pro, and Pro has no free trial.
• A session cannot be ended before the goal is reached, so the rest of the computer is out of reach until then.

Calmly Writer

WYSIWYG Markdown

Markdown is rendered as it is typed, so the syntax is never on screen: headings, tables and lists look formatted. Selecting text brings up a toolbar.

Focus mode and full screen

A focus mode and a full-screen mode, each with a keyboard shortcut, strip the window down to the text being written.

Counts and writing targets

Shows word and character counts with custom targets, plus reading time and a table of contents built from the document's headings.

Tabs, autosave and backups

Several documents stay open in tabs. Each is saved automatically and gets its own permanent backups and previous versions.

File formats

Opens and saves HTML, plain text, Markdown and its own .calmly format, imports Word .docx files and exports to .docx and PDF.

Typewriter sounds and themes

Optional typewriter sounds, smart punctuation, a customizable caret and five color themes, with an Open Dyslexic mode and right-to-left support.

Cold Turkey Writer

Full-screen lock until the goal is met

Once a session starts, Writer is the only thing the computer will run until the goal is reached. The vendor's FAQ says no key combination gets out of it.

Timer or word-count goals

A block lasts a set number of minutes, from 1 to 999, or until a chosen number of words has been typed. A progress bar at the top shows how much is left.

Auto save to plain text

The draft is saved to the Documents folder every 10 seconds, so the last version is still there if the computer crashes.

Portable, with no installer

Writer runs as a stand-alone program, so it can be copied to a USB stick and used on other computers.

Key-disabling options (Pro)

Pro can switch off copy and paste, text selection, the backspace and delete keys and the arrow keys, to keep a first draft moving forward.

Soundtracks and dark theme (Pro)

Pro adds coffee shop and rain background sounds, supplied by Coffitivity and RainyMood, and a dark theme for writing at night.

Calmly Writer

• Calmly Writer Online$0

  A lightweight browser version for quick edits, with no account. It lacks backups, previous versions, writing targets, comments and PDF export.

• Android app$16.99

  one-time purchase on Google Play

  The full app for Android 7.0 or later phones, tablets and Chromebooks. No trial; a 30-day money-back guarantee applies.

• Desktop license$23.90

  one-time purchase

  One license for Windows, Mac and Linux on up to three computers at once, with all future updates and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Cold Turkey Writer

• Writer Free$0

  Timed blocks, word-count blocks, distraction-free writing and auto save.

• Writer Pro$14.99

  one-time purchase

  Adds soundtracks, a dark theme, a copy and paste toggle and key-disabling options. Covers every computer you personally use, with free lifetime updates. Refundable within 30 days.

Calmly Writer

No public discounts listed.

Cold Turkey Writer

• Education

  Students can request 20% off

  The pricing FAQ says students can request 20% off. A form on the support page sends the discount to an email address it recognizes as belonging to a school.

• Other savings

  Save 10% on the three-product bundle

  Buying Blocker, Writer and Micromanager together is advertised at 10% off. Each is a one-time payment with no subscription.