Best Distraction-Free Writing Apps: iA Writer, Ulysses, FocusWriter, Google Docs, Obsidian

iA Author has darkish mode and shortcut integration for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Plus it’s simply plain fairly. Given the excessive value although, you need to be fairly devoted to the concept of a distraction-free working surroundings to spring for iA Author.

Ulysses

The essential structure and have set of Ulysses isn’t terribly totally different from iA Author. There’s a sidebar for navigating and organizing your recordsdata, and a big essential pane for composing. However it’s undoubtedly extra feature-rich, together with instruments for purpose monitoring and proofreading. Because of its easy however considerate group system, you might most likely even use Ulysses as a note-taking app in a pinch.

Like iA Author it has a typewriter mode with line highlighting and textual content scrolling. However you need to activate the varied elements of it individually the primary time. Certainly one of its larger attracts is its kinds that can help you export paperwork utilizing templates personalized for scripts, novels, weblog posts, and extra.

The knock in opposition to Ulysses is that it’s accessible solely as a $40 annual subscription. And it’s strictly for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. When you’re a Home windows person, you’re out of luck.

FocusWriter

That is maybe probably the most bare-bones of the bunch, but it surely shouldn’t be missed. FocusWriter has all of the fundamentals you’d anticipate from a textual content editor, together with spell verify and the power to have a number of paperwork open concurrently. It additionally has instruments for critical writers, like stat monitoring and purpose setting.

Not like a lot of the different apps right here, FocusWriter makes use of wealthy textual content (RTF) for formatting as a substitute of Markdown. It most likely has probably the most customizable interface of the bunch, although. You possibly can meticulously select the interface colours, fonts, and background.

One of many largest attracts shall be that it’s free and open supply, although proper now it’s accessible for Home windows and Linux solely. When you can most likely get it operating on macOS if you understand your approach round a command line, it is going to take some legwork, and there’s no cellular shopper or file syncing.

OmmWriter

The concept of distraction-free writing is, inherently, form of gimmicky. However OmmWriter might be probably the most gimmicky of the bunch. It doesn’t simply strip away the extraneous nonsense; it goals to immerse you in an surroundings conducive to a movement state. That features mild soundscapes that will help you focus and even varied typing sound results to boost the vibes.

If you need extra audible suggestions whereas typing, however don’t wish to spend money on a pleasant mechanical keyboard, this may do the job. Although, the very slight lag between your fingers hitting the keys and the sound popping out of the audio system bugged me.

In any other case, the UI is fairly naked, with a resizable textual content field within the middle and some buttons to the fitting for altering settings. It’s the most cost effective of the business choices right here at $9.93 for macOS or Home windows. However you can too give it a whirl in your browser by enjoying with a stripped down model free of charge.

Scrivener

Scrivener has a devoted following amongst long-form writers, and for good motive. Whereas the app does have a superb distraction-free mode, full with typewriter-style scrolling, it additionally sports activities superior organizing instruments that you just’re positive to understand for those who’re engaged on a ebook or a screenplay. It’s made particularly with longer writing tasks in thoughts.

Its mission outlines make it easy to gather analysis or rearrange concepts till you discover what clicks. When it comes time to really write, the total display composition mode eliminates the whole lot however the textual content field. It’s probably the most minimal of editors.