FocusWriter vs ZenPen (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FocusWriter grades higher than ZenPen: 3.0 against 2.8 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 features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 ZenPen if
- Fits if you want a blank page for a quick draft
- Works for a short piece you'll paste somewhere else
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want your work saved safely, since clearing browser data can remove it
- Not for you if you need folders or sync, as it has no accounts
- Too light for long projects, because there's no outline or file handling
- Watch out: saving means copying text to the clipboard, with no download button described
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFocusWriterVery good | 2.8GPAZenPenGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$0, with only a tip-jar link. Nothing to buy. |
| 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. | AThe whole app is free, no account and no paid plans. |
| 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. | DA text area, a word target, bold, italic and quote styling and Markdown, HTML or plain-text copy. It has no saving, folders or sync, and needs another product for anything longer. |
| 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 open the page and type. 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. | CWeb only, with no accounts, sync between devices or integrations. |
| Best for | a free full-screen page on Windows or Linux | a plain page to type on |
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 ZenPen. 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. ZenPen 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 ZenPen 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
- ZenPen also covers Markdown.
In commonFree planOpen sourceDocuments
At a glance
| FocusWriter | ZenPen | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | The whole app is free to use in the browser; the page only offers a tip-jar link to support the maker. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Gott Code (Graeme Gott) | Tim Holman |
| Price read from | gottcode.org | zenpen.io |
| 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.
ZenPen
- It is a single-page web app with no accounts, folders or sync between devices.
- Text lives in this browser's local storage, so clearing browser data can remove it.
- Saving means copying the text to the clipboard; there is no file download or export button described.
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.
ZenPen
- Minimal writing page
- A plain page with a text area and a handful of buttons, described as a minimal editor made to stay out of the way.
- Target word count
- Set a word-count goal in the top bar to track progress as you write.
- Text styling
- Buttons apply bold, italic and quote formatting to the text you select.
- Save as Markdown, HTML or plain text
- Pick a format and copy the text with ctrl+c or cmd+c to paste it elsewhere.
- Local storage
- The project's README says everything is kept on your device through HTML5 local storage, not on a server.
- Open-source code
- The code is public on GitHub under the MIT license.
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.
ZenPen
ZenPen$0
Free browser app with no account and no paid plans listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FocusWriter or ZenPen?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both FocusWriter and ZenPen are free to use.
Which has a free plan, FocusWriter or ZenPen?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both FocusWriter and ZenPen have a free plan.
Which platforms do FocusWriter and ZenPen run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only FocusWriter lists Windows and Linux apps and only ZenPen lists a web 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.