WriteMonkey vs Zettlr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, WriteMonkey and Zettlr share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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 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
Pick Zettlr if
- Fits if you write papers or a thesis in Markdown and keep your references in Zotero
- Works for people who keep a Zettelkasten of linked notes on their own computer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you write on a phone or in a browser, as it's desktop only
- Not for you if you want sync built in, because files stay on your computer with no cloud service of its own
- Too light for grammar checking out of the box, since anything past the spellchecker means connecting LanguageTool
- Watch out: citations need a library kept in Zotero, JabRef or Juris-M, and exports run through Pandoc profiles
- Tight if your computer is older, as downloads are listed for Windows 10 or newer and macOS 12 or newer
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAWriteMonkeyGood | 2.8GPAZettlrGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and use on as many machines as you like. A program anyone can download and run. | AFree and open source, with no paid tier at all, in a category where paid plans start around $8.33 a month in the middle. Development runs on voluntary donations through Patreon, PayPal, GitHub Sponsors or Ko-fi. |
| Free plan and trial | ANo caps on the free version; donations are optional and only unlock extras. | AThe whole app is free on Windows, macOS and Linux. There's no paid tier, so nothing is held back and there's no cap to reach. |
| Features | CMarkdown, plugins and an AI helper plugin, but plain text only with no page layout or rich formatting. | CIt covers academic Markdown by leaning on other programs: citations come from a library you keep in Zotero, JabRef or Juris-M, export runs through Pandoc, and grammar past the spellchecker means connecting LanguageTool. Its own parts are Zettelkasten links and a graph view. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It's keyboard-driven, so you'll learn the shortcuts. | CNo store rating on record, and the academic parts take wiring: citations come from an outside reference manager, export profiles run on Pandoc, and grammar checks need LanguageTool connected. The editor itself can show anything from raw Markdown to rich text. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux only, with no phone or web version. | CWindows 10 or newer, macOS 12 or newer and Linux. It hooks up to Zotero, JabRef, Juris-M, LanguageTool and Pandoc, but those are other desktop programs: this is computers only, with no mobile or web app and no cloud sync of its own. |
| Best for | distraction-free plain-text writing on a keyboard | free academic writing in Markdown |
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: WriteMonkey and Zettlr. How we grade
Price against what you get
WriteMonkey has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zettlr has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other writing tools on the chart, none scores higher than WriteMonkey for less, and none scores higher than Zettlr 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
- Zettlr is open source, according to its own site.
- Zettlr also covers linked notes, citations and long-form writing.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxMarkdown
At a glance
| WriteMonkey | Zettlr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download and use on as many machines as you like; donors get a key for extras. | The whole app is free and open source, with no paid tier. Development is funded by voluntary donations through Patreon, PayPal, GitHub Sponsors or Ko-fi. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | pomarancha | Hendrik Erz |
| Price read from | writemonkey.com | zettlr.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Zettlr
- Desktop only: downloads are listed for macOS 12 or newer, Windows 10 or newer and Linux, with no mobile or web app.
- It has no cloud service of its own: files stay on the computer, with no built-in cloud synchronization.
- Citations draw on a library kept in an external reference manager such as Zotero, JabRef or Juris-M.
- Grammar and style checking beyond the spellchecker relies on connecting LanguageTool.
Key features
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.
Zettlr
- Citations from a reference manager
- Loads a library from Zotero, JabRef or Juris-M, previews citations in the text and formats them in any of more than 9,000 citation styles.
- Export profiles with Pandoc
- A profile pairs an export format with a template, so a paper can be exported for a journal or conference in one click. Beamer, reveal.js and PowerPoint slides are supported too.
- Zettelkasten tools
- Supports note IDs, wiki-style links between notes, related files and a graph view for building a personal knowledge base.
- Adjustable Markdown rendering
- The editor can show anything from raw Markdown to rich text. LaTeX math and Mermaid charts render inline, and the look can be changed with custom CSS.
- Spelling, grammar and style checks
- Includes a spellchecker and a Markdown linter, and can connect to LanguageTool for grammar and style checking.
- Projects, snippets and statistics
- Project support groups the files of a longer work, snippets insert reusable text with variables and tab stops, and writing statistics track progress.
Plans
WriteMonkey
Free$0
Full download with no limits stated; a donation of any amount is optional.
Zettlr
Free$0
The full editor for Windows, macOS and Linux, free and open source, with optional donations to support development.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, WriteMonkey or Zettlr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both WriteMonkey and Zettlr are free to use.
Which has a free plan, WriteMonkey or Zettlr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both WriteMonkey and Zettlr have a free plan.
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.