FocusWriter vs OmmWriter (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FocusWriter grades higher than OmmWriter: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
FocusWriter grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
OmmWriter
Full-screen writing app with backgrounds, music and typing sounds
From $9.99 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick FocusWriter if
- Fits if you want a full-screen page with nothing else on it and pay nothing
- Works for Windows and Linux writers who set themselves a daily word goal
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac, as the current version has no macOS build and the archived ones stop at April 2020
- Not for you if you write on a phone or in a browser, since no mobile or web version is listed
- Too light for long projects that need sync, cloud storage, an outliner or manuscript tools
- Watch out: the Windows build is for Windows 10 x64, and no integrations are listed
Pick OmmWriter if
- Fits if you want a quiet full-screen page and nothing else
- Works for people who write on one Mac or PC and like background sounds
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want outlines, projects or collaboration, as none are listed
- Not for you if you use a phone, tablet or Linux, because there is no version for them
- Tight if you want to try first: no free plan or trial is listed
- Watch out: the site footer reads 2017 and the Windows version dates to 2019, so it may not be kept up
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFocusWriterVery good | 2.2GPAOmmWriterFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the GPL version 3, a program anyone can download and run, with nothing to buy and no paid tier behind it. The middle of this category charges $8.33 a month. The developer takes optional tips of $5, $10, $20 or whatever you fancy. | A$9.99 one-time, under a year of the category's $9.75 middle subscription plus a little. There's no subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free, including the portable Windows build, and there's no cap anywhere for a normal writer to reach. Nothing is held back for a paid version, because there isn't one. | FNo free plan or trial is listed, and the Mac App Store sells it for a one-time $9.99. |
| Features | CA hide-away interface, themes with your own font, colours and background image, live statistics, daily goals, spell-checking and sessions that reopen where you stopped. It does that one job fully, and it is a small job: no sync, no cloud, no outliner, no manuscript tools. | CFull-screen writing, backgrounds, audio, five typefaces and exports. It has no outline, project or collaboration tools, but covers the basics. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but there is nothing at all to set up: install it, or run the portable build off a USB stick, and it reloads your work in progress and puts the cursor back where you left it. | BNo rating on record, but you install it and start typing with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA program for computers alone, and not even all of them: Windows 10 x64 and Linux, with no macOS build in the current version and Mac builds in the archive stopping at April 2020. No mobile or web version, and no integrations listed. | CMac and Windows only. The FAQ rules out iPhone, iPad, Linux, Kindle and Chromebook. |
| Best for | a free full-screen page on Windows or Linux | a quiet full-screen writing space |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FocusWriter and OmmWriter. How we grade
Where they differ
- FocusWriter is open source, according to its own site.
- OmmWriter can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- OmmWriter also covers focus music.
In commonWindowsDocuments
At a glance
| FocusWriter | OmmWriter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Paid |
| Starts at | Free | $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store) |
| Free plan | The whole program is free and released under the GPL version 3. The developer accepts optional tips of $5, $10, $20 or another amount. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Gott Code (Graeme Gott) | Byteberry Studio, S.L. |
| Price read from | gottcode.org | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
OmmWriter
- Mac and Windows only: the FAQ says there is no iPhone, iPad, Linux, Kindle or Chromebook version.
- The site's footer reads 2017 and the Gaia version dates to 2017 for Mac and 2019 for Windows.
- It has only basic writing functions, with no outline, project or collaboration tools listed.
- The price on the maker's website could not be read; the $9.99 figure is the Mac App Store listing.
Key features
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.
OmmWriter
- Full-screen writing space
- The app opens full screen with only the basic functions, so little else appears while you write.
- Nature-inspired backgrounds
- Includes backgrounds that follow the course of a day and two designed with a colour-therapy expert.
- Audio tracks and typing sounds
- Nine ambient and instrumental tracks play through headphones, and each key press makes a soft sound.
- Five typefaces
- Choose among Open Sans, DejaVu Sans, Noto Serif, PT Serif and Cygnet Round.
- Save and export formats
- Saves as .omm, .txt, .doc and .docx, with direct export to PDF or email.
- One-time license
- The maker says the Gaia license is a single payment with no time limit and no subscription.
Plans
FocusWriter
Free$0
The full word processor for Windows 10 x64 and Linux, including a portable Windows build, with optional tips to the developer.
OmmWriter
OmmWriter (Mac App Store)$9.99
one-time purchase
Single payment with no subscription; the maker's own site sells it at a minimum price you may exceed.
Ways to pay less
FocusWriter
No public discounts listed.
OmmWriter
- Other savings
30% off packs of five licenses
The FAQ says buying a pack of at least five licenses gets a 30% discount on each one.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FocusWriter or OmmWriter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FocusWriter is free, and OmmWriter starts at $9.99 one-time (Mac App Store).
Which has a free plan, FocusWriter or OmmWriter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only FocusWriter has a free plan. OmmWriter does not.
Which platforms do FocusWriter and OmmWriter run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only FocusWriter lists a Linux app and only OmmWriter lists a macOS app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.