iA Writer
PaidMinimalist Markdown editor famous for Focus Mode and style highlights that strip writing down to pure thought on Mac, Windows, and iOS.
✨ Key Features
Focus Mode sentence dimming
Syntax highlights for adverbs and filler
Custom monospace and duospace fonts
Libraries with tags and filters
Preview and export templates
Optional AI ghost text
Pros
- Distraction-free done right
- Sharp editorial feedback
- No subscription required
Cons
- Sparse by deliberate design
- Not built for team documents
📝 About iA Writer
iA Writer is the writing app that says no. No sidebars fighting for attention, no formatting rabbit holes, just a page, a superb mono font, and Markdown. Focus Mode dims everything but the current sentence, making revision feel surgical.
Its quiet superpower is style highlighting, which colors adverbs, redundant phrasing, and passive constructions as you type, like an editor looking over your shoulder. Version 7 opened the door to optional AI suggestions while keeping the plain-text soul intact.
For journalists, authors, and anyone who believes writing improves when the tool simply disappears, iA Writer remains the purest option available in 2026. Buy it once on Mac, Windows, iOS, or Android, and then just write. A browser test drive requires no purchase at all.
Alternatives & Related Tools
Ulysses
Long-form writing environment for Apple devices with a sheet-based library, writing goals, and one-tap publishing straight to your blog.
Claude
Anthropic's AI assistant known for thoughtful writing, careful analysis, and strong coding with large context windows.
Obsidian
Powerful local-first knowledge base built on plain Markdown files with bidirectional links, a graph view, and thousands of community plugins.
Bear
Elegant Markdown notes app for Apple devices with nested tags, flexible todos, and typography that makes both notes and prose a joy.