# FocusWriter

> Free distraction-free word processor for Windows and Linux

FocusWriter is a free, open-source word processor that fills the screen with the page being written. Its menus and toolbars stay hidden until the mouse moves to an edge of the screen. Themes set the font, colors and background image, and the program tracks live statistics and daily goals, checks spelling, and reopens the last documents at the point where the writer stopped.

- **Category:** Writing Tools
- **Made by:** Gott Code (Graeme Gott)
- **Website:** https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/
- **Runs on:** Windows, Linux
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 9, 2026

## Pricing

FocusWriter is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** 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 trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | The full word processor for Windows 10 x64 and Linux, including a portable Windows build, with optional tips to the developer. |

Read from https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/ on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with FocusWriter before buying.

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- 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

## Worth knowing

- 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.

**Tags:** Open source, Documents

## Alternatives

- [Calmly Writer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/calmly-writer): Distraction-free Markdown writing app sold as a one-time purchase. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/calmly-writer-vs-focuswriter)
- [Cold Turkey Writer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/cold-turkey-writer): Text editor that locks your computer until a writing goal is met. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/cold-turkey-writer-vs-focuswriter)
- [ghostwriter](https://toolgpa.com/tools/ghostwriter): Free, open-source Markdown editor from KDE for focused writing. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/focuswriter-vs-ghostwriter)
- [iA Writer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/ia-writer): Minimal plain-text Markdown writing app with Focus Mode. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/focuswriter-vs-ia-writer)
- [LibreOffice Writer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/libreoffice-writer): Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/focuswriter-vs-libreoffice-writer)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026:

- https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/
- https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/archive/
- https://codeberg.org/gottcode/focuswriter/raw/branch/main/README

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/focuswriter
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).