Calmly Writer vs FocusWriter

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

FocusWriter

• Writers who want a full-screen page with nothing else on it
• People who set themselves a daily writing target
• Windows and Linux users who want a free, open-source editor

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.

FocusWriter

• The download page for the current version lists Linux, Windows 10 x64 and source code only; it offers no macOS build.
• The version archive shows macOS builds only up to a release from April 2020.
• No mobile or web version is listed.

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.

FocusWriter

Hide-away interface

Menus, toolbars and other controls stay out of sight until the mouse moves to the edges of the screen, leaving only the text visible while writing.

Themes

A theme controls the font, the colors and a background image, and writers can create their own to set the mood of the writing space.

Statistics and daily goals

Statistics update as you type, and a daily goal tracks progress toward a target for each day's writing.

Sessions that resume

Several documents can be open at once, and on launch the program reloads the work in progress and returns to the last position in it.

Spell-checking

Spelling is checked with the bundled hunspell library, and the project page links to LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice dictionaries.

Portable mode

A portable Windows build is offered, and creating a Data folder beside the program keeps settings and themes with it on a USB drive.

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.

FocusWriter

• Free$0

  The full word processor for Windows 10 x64 and Linux, including a portable Windows build, with optional tips to the developer.