FocusWriter vs WriteMonkey (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FocusWriter grades higher than WriteMonkey: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
FocusWriter grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
WriteMonkey
Minimal plain-text Markdown editor for writers, free to use
Free
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 WriteMonkey if
- Fits if you want a bare screen to type on and a keyboard to drive it
- Works for Markdown writers who don't need page layout
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want formatting or page layout, as it's plain text only
- Not for you if you want an installer and automatic updates, because it's a zip and upgrades are by hand
- Watch out: the latest version 3 release is dated January 2023, so check it's still kept up
- Watch out: old version 2 donor keys don't work in version 3
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFocusWriterVery good | 2.8GPAWriteMonkeyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AFree to download and use on as many machines as you like. A program anyone can download and run. |
| 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. | ANo caps on the free version; donations are optional and only unlock extras. |
| 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. | CMarkdown, plugins and an AI helper plugin, but plain text only with no page layout or rich formatting. |
| 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. | CNo store rating on record. It's keyboard-driven, so you'll learn the shortcuts. |
| 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. | CWindows, Mac and Linux only, with no phone or web version. |
| Best for | a free full-screen page on Windows or Linux | distraction-free plain-text writing on a keyboard |
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 WriteMonkey. How we grade
Price against what you get
FocusWriter has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. WriteMonkey has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
FocusWriter scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other writing tools on the chart, none scores higher than FocusWriter for less, and none scores higher than WriteMonkey for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- FocusWriter is open source, according to its own site.
- FocusWriter also covers documents.
- WriteMonkey also covers Markdown.
In commonFree planWindowsLinux
At a glance
| FocusWriter | WriteMonkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| 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. | Free to download and use on as many machines as you like; donors get a key for extras. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Gott Code (Graeme Gott) | pomarancha |
| Price read from | gottcode.org | writemonkey.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
WriteMonkey
- Version 3 is a zip download that you unzip and run, with no installer, and upgrades are done by hand.
- The site's latest version 3 release is dated January 2023, so check how recently it has been updated.
- Plain text only, with no rich formatting or page layout.
- Old version 2 donor keys are not valid for version 3.
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.
WriteMonkey
- Minimal interface
- A stripped-down window meant to leave you with the text and a word count, without toolbars.
- Markdown support
- Plain-text writing with Markdown, which the vendor says it supported early among writer-focused editors.
- Keyboard-driven use
- Version 3 is described as keyboard friendly, with commands and shortcuts instead of menus.
- Plugins
- Plugins such as corkboards, a Pomodoro timer and a thesaurus lookup are listed; in version 3 they are bundled with the download.
- AI-helper plugin
- A ChatGPT-based plugin for version 3 is offered as a separate download, per the vendor's July 2023 note.
- Three operating systems
- Version 3 ships as zip downloads for Windows, macOS and Linux that run without an installer.
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.
WriteMonkey
Free$0
Full download with no limits stated; a donation of any amount is optional.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FocusWriter or WriteMonkey?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both FocusWriter and WriteMonkey are free to use.
Which has a free plan, FocusWriter or WriteMonkey?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both FocusWriter and WriteMonkey have a free plan.
Which platforms do FocusWriter and WriteMonkey run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only WriteMonkey lists a macOS app. Both list Windows and Linux apps. 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.