Byword icon

Byword

Byword is a minimalist markdown text editor and previewer for Mac and iOS. It has a clean, distraction-free interface focused on writing with markdown formatting support and useful writing tools. About 60 words.

What is Byword?

Byword is a markdown editor and previewer designed specifically for Mac, iOS, and iCloud syncing. It features a simplistic, clean interface so you can focus on your writing. Byword supports Markdown formatting so you can easily add formatting like headings, bold, italics as you write.

Some key features include:

  • Clean, minimalist interface to avoid distractions while writing
  • Markdown formatting support with live preview
  • Supports exporting documents to HTML or PDF format
  • Syncing between Mac, iOS devices, and iCloud to access docs anywhere
  • Publishing directly to Medium and WordPress blogs
  • Advanced writing tools like word/character count, auto save, cross-link navigation, and spell checking

With its specialized Mac and iOS focus, simple and intuitive design, and emphasis on writing in Markdown format, Byword is a great choice for writers looking for a distraction-free writing environment across their Apple devices with powerful export and sync capabilities.

The Best Byword Alternatives

Top Apps like Byword

Ulysses, Rentry.co, iA Writer, ZenWriter, Zettlr, FocusWriter, Manuskript, Mark Text, MacDown, Dendron, Writage, ghostwriter, Write Honey, Calmly Writer, StackEdit, OmmWriter, Morning Pages for iPhone, Typewriter, KoalaWriter, A Novel Idea, 750 Words, JDarkRoom, Paragraphs, Q10, WPS Writer, Big Huge Labs Writer, OmPad, AsciidocFX, CreaWriter, PyRoom, 130 Words, Markdown Monster, Marxico, PHP Markdown, MultiMarkdown Composer, Daedalus Touch, MdCharm, Worst Draft, Contour, Rough Draft, TextRoom, Markdown Plus, MarkdownD, Epistle, Write for Mac, Markdown Life, myTexts pro, Markie, Catlooking Writer, DownMarker, BlueGem, TextDown, Classeur, DarkCopy, mvilla Draft, MarkDrop, QuietWrite, Typen, TextPrex, Phraseology, BlankPage.io, CuteMarkEd, Quabel, Marcdown, TextNut, Writed, Evermark, typWrittr, Mytextfile, Writing Kit, Matcha, MarkedPub, WriteDown are some alternatives to Byword.

Ulysses

Ulysses is an innovative writing app developed by German company The Soulmen. First launched for Mac in 2013, it is now also available for iPad and iPhone devices. Ulysses provides a distraction-free writing environment that allows writers to focus on putting words to the page without getting bogged down with formatting...

Rentry.co

Rentry.co is an innovative software rental platform that is changing the way businesses and individuals access the tools they need. Instead of requiring large upfront investments to purchase software licenses and subscriptions, Rentry.co allows users to rent top software tools on-demand for flexible monthly payments.With Rentry.co...

IA Writer

iA Writer is a popular text editor and word processor application designed specifically for distraction-free writing. It has a very clean and minimal interface that removes unnecessary buttons and menus so you can focus on your writing.Some key features of iA Writer include:- Focus mode that grays out...

ZenWriter

ZenWriter is a minimalist, distraction-free word processor designed specifically for writers. It provides a clean, uncluttered interface that eliminates distractions so you can stay focused on your writing.Some key features of ZenWriter include:Minimal interface lacks menus, toolbars and buttons that can be distractingFullscreen mode with dark or light...

Zettlr

Zettlr is a feature-rich markdown editor optimized for long-form writing and academic work. It provides a clean, distraction-free interface for writing in markdown, allowing you to focus on your content rather than formatting.Key features of Zettlr include:Real-time markdown rendering with support for math formulas, footnotes, citations, and bibliographiesDark...

FocusWriter

FocusWriter is a distraction-free word processor software application designed specifically for writers. Its purpose is to help authors concentrate on their writing by eliminating distractions and providing useful writing tools.Some key features of FocusWriter include:Minimal, clean interface to avoid distractionsTyping statistics tracking such as words written, pages, paragraphs...

Manuskript

Manuskript is a free, open-source writing app designed specifically for fiction writers. It helps organize stories, characters, plots, and writing projects in one place to boost productivity.Key features include:Outline editor to plan story beats and organize contentCharacter and worlds database to track detailsCorkboard and index cards to rearrange...

Mark Text

Mark Text is an open-source markdown editor available for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. It aims to provide a simple, elegant, and powerful markdown experience.Key features of Mark Text include:Live preview - See updates rendered in real time as you type.Tabs - Open multiple markdown documents in tabs...

MacDown

MacDown is an open-source, lightweight Markdown editor for macOS. It has a simple, uncluttered user interface that focuses on the writing experience. Some of the key features of MacDown include:Real-time Markdown syntax highlighting and live preview as you typeSupport for GitHub Flavored Markdown, including task lists and emojiCustomizable themes...

Dendron

Dendron is an open-source, local-first, markdown-based, hierarchical note-taking application. It allows users to organize their notes and knowledge using flexible hierarchies and relationships between notes.Some key features of Dendron include:Hierarchical note organization using hierarchies and tagsFlexible views like graphs and tables to visualize relationshipsFull-text search across notesIntegration with...

Writage

Writage is a lightweight, minimalist writing application for Mac designed to help authors focus on their writing by removing distractions. It provides a clean, simple interface with only the essential features a writer needs.Key features of Writage include:Minimalist design to avoid distractions and keep the user laser-focused on...

Ghostwriter

Ghostwriter is an open-source, cross-platform word processor designed to provide a simple and distraction-free writing environment. With a minimalist user interface devoid of clutter, Ghostwriter concentrates purely on text content rather than formatting choices.Some of the key features of Ghostwriter include:Minimalist design to avoid distractions while writingAuto-save and...

Write Honey

Write Honey is a free and open-source word processor and note-taking application. It provides core word processing capabilities for creating and editing documents and notes.Some of the key features of Write Honey include:Minimalist, clutter-free interface for distraction-free writingBasic text formatting like bold, italics, underline, font size/face changesHeaders...

Calmly Writer

Calmly Writer is a lightweight writing application designed to help authors focus on their writing without distractions. It features a basic word processor interface with only the essential writing and formatting tools such as fonts, margins, line spacing, etc.The minimal design of Calmly Writer aims to remove all interruptions...

StackEdit

StackEdit is a free, open-source, online Markdown editor with a variety of features for writing, formatting, and publishing documents. Some key capabilities of StackEdit include:Real-time Markdown preview - See changes rendered as you typeSyntax highlighting for code blocksSupport for Markdown extensions like tables, footnotes, task listsCollaborative editing in real-time...

OmmWriter

OmmWriter is a minimalist word processor application designed specifically for creative writers. Its purpose is to provide a distraction-free writing environment that allows writers to stay focused and immerse themselves in their work.The OmmWriter interface consists only of a blank text editing area and basic formatting tools, with all...

Morning Pages for iPhone

Morning Pages for iPhone is a journaling app designed specifically for the morning writing ritual called "Morning Pages." This practice was popularized by the book The Artist's Way and involves writing 3 pages of freeform, stream-of-consciousness writing every morning.The app provides a simple, distraction-free interface for writing without worrying about...

Typewriter

Typewriter is a minimalist writing application designed to provide writers with a clean, distraction-free interface for focusing on their work. Unlike feature-packed word processors, Typewriter strips away all formatting tools, templates, and complex menus to simply offer a blank page and basic typing and editing functionality.At its core, Typewriter...

KoalaWriter

KoalaWriter is a free, open-source word processor and document editing application. Developed as a lightweight alternative to more complex office suites like Microsoft Word or LibreOffice, KoalaWriter provides essential tools for writing, formatting, and editing text documents.Key features of KoalaWriter include:Minimalist word processing interface focused on writingBasic text...

A Novel Idea

A Novel Idea is a popular novel writing software that provides authors with a comprehensive set of tools to plan, organize, write, and edit their novels. It is designed specifically for fiction writers working on book-length projects.Key features of A Novel Idea include:Character profiles - Build detailed profiles...

750 Words

750 Words is a popular web application developed to help people build a daily writing habit. It provides a simple, distraction-free writing space where users can write 750 words every day.The app sets a goal of writing at least 750 words per entry. It tracks your word count as you type and...

JDarkRoom

JDarkRoom is a minimalist text editor application for Mac OS that provides a clean, distraction-free writing environment. It has the following key features:Dark background with light-colored text makes it easy to focus on writing.Hides menus, panels, scroll bars and other interface elements when writing.Supports basic text editing...

Paragraphs

Paragraphs is a distraction-free writing app developed by Blot. Available for Mac and iOS devices, it provides writers with a clean and minimal interface to focus on their content. The app strips away all formatting options and concentrates solely on the words users write without extraneous features getting in the...

Q10

Q10 is a lightweight word processor and text editor software that is built specifically with the needs of writers in mind. It strips away all superfluous features and distractions, allowing writers to completely focus on their text. Some of the standout features of Q10 include:Minimalist, clean interface without clutter...

WPS Writer

WPS Writer is a feature-rich word processor and part of the WPS Office suite of productivity applications. As an alternative to Microsoft Word, WPS Writer is completely free and open source.Some key features and capabilities of WPS Writer include:Word processing for creating documents like letters, reports, invoices, etc...

Big Huge Labs Writer

Big Huge Labs Writer is a powerful yet easy-to-use AI content generation tool that helps you create high-quality written content with just a few clicks. Developed by Big Huge Labs, it utilizes advanced artificial intelligence to generate unique articles, blog posts, product descriptions and more based on the prompts and...

OmPad

OmPad is a free and open-source text editor application designed specifically for taking notes and writing. It prioritizes simplicity and minimalism to help users stay focused on their writing without getting distracted by extensive formatting options.Some key features of OmPad include:Clean and distraction-free interface - The editing space...

AsciidocFX

AsciidocFX is a feature-rich text editor specifically designed for writing and previewing AsciiDoc and Markdown markup languages. With its intuitive user interface, live content preview, and extensive format conversion abilities, AsciidocFX aims to provide an efficient single-source publishing workflow for technical writers, software documentation authors, students, engineers, and anyone producing...

CreaWriter

CreaWriter is an innovative writing assistant software that utilizes advanced artificial intelligence to help users with various aspects of the writing process. It works as an add-on within word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs to provide real-time writing suggestions and feedback.Some of the key features of CreaWriter...

PyRoom

PyRoom is a free, open-source minimalist text editor for Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. Designed with writers in mind, PyRoom aims to provide a distraction-free writing environment that allows authors to focus on their words.When PyRoom launches, all menus and most UI elements are hidden from view, leaving...

130 Words

130 Words is a lightweight word processor application designed for distraction-free writing. It features a clean, minimalist interface consisting only of a text box and a few basic formatting tools, eliminating unnecessary menus and options that can be distracting.The purpose of 130 Words is to allow writers to concentrate solely on...

Markdown Monster

Markdown Monster is a popular markdown editor for Windows that provides a robust set of features to enhance the writing experience.Some key features of Markdown Monster include:Live preview - See changes rendered in real-time as you type.Syntax highlighting - Color coding for markdown formatting helps avoid errors...

Marxico

Marxico is an open-source marketing automation and campaign management solution designed for small to medium-sized businesses as an alternative to Marketo. It provides a suite of features to help manage marketing campaigns across multiple channels.Some key capabilities and benefits of Marxico include:Drag-and-drop campaign builder to easily create multi-channel...

PHP Markdown

PHP Markdown is an open source PHP library that converts Markdown formatted text into HTML. It was created by Michel Fortin and supports most standard Markdown syntax including headers, emphasis, lists, links, images, code blocks, blockquotes, and inline HTML.Some key features of PHP Markdown include:Supports the full range...

MultiMarkdown Composer

MultiMarkdown Composer is an open-source Markdown editor developed specifically for macOS. It has an intuitive, minimalist user interface that allows you to focus on writing in Markdown syntax. Some key features include:Clean, distraction-free writing environment for composing Markdown documentsSupports MultiMarkdown - an extended version of Markdown adding features like...

Daedalus Touch

Daedalus Touch is a powerful vector graphics and illustration app designed specifically for the iPad and Apple Pencil. It allows users to create precise technical drawings, sketches, diagrams, and artistic illustrations with ease.Key features of Daedalus Touch include:Intuitive gesture-based interface optimized for touch and Apple Pencil inputPrecise vector...

MdCharm

MdCharm is a free, open-source Markdown editor available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. It provides a simple, distraction-free writing environment for creating Markdown documents.Some key features of MdCharm include:Clean, intuitive user interface with live preview panelSupports GitHub flavored Markdown for full formatting compatibilityCustom CSS styles allow...

Worst Draft

Worst Draft is a minimalist word processor and text editor application designed specifically for distraction-free writing. It strips away all non-essential features and provides writers with a clean, simple interface to allow them to focus on their content rather than formatting.With Worst Draft, there are no fonts, formats, or...

Contour

Contour is an open source Kubernetes ingress controller that works by deploying the Envoy proxy as a reverse proxy and load balancer. Contour provides a control plane for Envoy that watches Kubernetes API servers for changes and updates Envoy configuration automatically.Key features of Contour include:HTTP and HTTPS routing...

Rough Draft

Rough Draft is a minimalist, distraction-free writing software designed to increase productivity by helping writers focus solely on writing content in a streamlined interface. Without the complex formatting options of word processors, Rough Draft strips away anything nonessential so writers can concentrate on putting words on the page.Key features...

TextRoom

TextRoom is a free online text editor and note taking web application. It provides a minimalist interface for creating, editing, formatting, and saving text documents and notes online. Some key features of TextRoom include:Real-time auto saving - your documents are saved continuously so you never lose workBasic text formatting...

Markdown Plus

Markdown Plus is a user-friendly Markdown editor for Windows designed for simplicity and ease-of-use. It provides a clean and distraction-free interface with live preview and syntax highlighting to allow for effortless Markdown editing.Some key features of Markdown Plus:Live preview panel - See changes rendered in real-time as you...

MarkdownD

MarkdownD is a free, open-source Markdown editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. It provides a simple yet powerful interface for writing Markdown with the following key features:Live preview - See your formatted Markdown rendered live side-by-side as you typeSyntax highlighting - Your Markdown is color coded for easier editing...

Epistle

Epistle is an open-source, privacy-focused email client for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Developed by a non-profit organization, Epistle aims to make private and secure email accessible to regular internet users.Some key features of Epistle include:End-to-end encryption using OpenPGP, allowing users to send encrypted emails to others with ease...

Write for Mac

Write for Mac is a minimalist writing application designed specifically for Mac operating systems. It provides a clean, distraction-free interface that allows writers to focus solely on their writing.Unlike word processors like Microsoft Word or Apple Pages, Write has stripped away any unnecessary features and menus, offering only the...

Markdown Life

Markdown Life is a simple, open-source writing app built with the Electron framework. It is designed specifically for writing in Markdown syntax, providing a clean and minimal interface to allow authors to focus on their text without distractions.Some key features of Markdown Life include:Live preview of formatted Markdown...

MyTexts pro

myTexts pro is a versatile text editor and word processing application designed specifically for writers. It comes packed with advanced features to boost productivity, including auto-save and version history to prevent losing work, offline access for writing anywhere, a selection of customizable themes to suit different preferences, and real-time collaboration...

Markie

Markie is an open-source JavaScript library created by Doron Zavelevsky for validating and testing website content. It can be used to check for a variety of common website issues including:Broken linksMissing imagesInvalid HTML markupAccessibility issuesPerformance problemsMarkie integrates automated testing into your development workflow. It can be run from the...

Catlooking Writer

Catlooking Writer is an open-source word processing application with the core features needed for writing documents, reports, letters, and other textual content. As a free alternative to Microsoft Word, it provides a simple yet capable interface for creating and editing documents.Key features of Catlooking Writer include:Formatting tools for...

DownMarker

DownMarker is a Markdown editing app designed specifically for Windows. It provides a simple, clutter-free interface for writing Markdown documents with live previews.Some key features of DownMarker:Clean, distraction-free interface for focusing on writingLive preview updates as you type your Markdown textSupports custom CSS for styling your exported HTMLExport...

BlueGem

BlueGem is an open-source website builder designed to allow anyone to create professional-looking websites quickly and easily, without needing to know how to code. It features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes building a site as simple as dragging website elements like text, images, contact forms, etc. onto a page...

TextDown

TextDown is an open-source, free plain text editor for Windows designed specifically for writers. It provides a clean, minimalist interface to reduce distractions so you can focus on your writing.Some of the key features of TextDown include:Syntax highlighting for markdown, HTML, CSS, and other common formatsCustomizable themes including...

Classeur

Classeur is a note-taking and task management application with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. It provides a clean, distraction-free interface for capturing notes, tasks, ideas, and other bits of information.Some key features of Classeur include:Flexible notebooks - Create multiple notebooks to organize notes and content...

DarkCopy

DarkCopy is an open-source disk imaging and cloning software utility for Microsoft Windows. It allows users to efficiently create full disk image backups, including all partitions and unused disk space, which can be used for disk cloning or data recovery purposes.Key features of DarkCopy include:Creating complete 1:1 raw disk...

Mvilla Draft

Mvilla Draft is a word processing and writing software application designed specifically for fiction authors and novelists. Its key features include:A clean, distraction-free interface focused on writingTools to organize scenes, chapters, characters, locations, notes, and moreAdvanced export options to output your drafts to various ebook and print formatsWriters block...

MarkDrop

MarkDrop is a free and open-source markdown editor focused on speed and simplicity. It has a clean and minimalistic user interface that gets out of your way so you can concentrate on writing. The live preview pane shows how your markdown formatting will look when rendered, updating instantly as you...

QuietWrite

QuietWrite is a distraction-free writing software designed specifically for Windows. It provides writers with a clean, minimal interface that removes all distractions so they can focus completely on their work.Some of the key features QuietWrite offers include:Minimalist design to reduce distractionsWord count goals and statistics to track progressAuto-save...

Typen

Typen is a streamlined writing application that focuses solely on giving users a blank page and basic typing tools to write without distractions. It features a minimalist, clutter-free interface consisting only of a large text field and a small toolbar along the top for changing font style, font size, text...

TextPrex

TextPrex is a powerful text processing and data extraction software designed to help users quickly extract and transform unstructured text data into actionable insights. It supports processing documents, webpages, PDFs, emails, and more.Some key features of TextPrex include:Advanced natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to understand text...

Phraseology

Phraseology is a writing assistant software designed to help writers craft better phrases, sentences, and overall prose. It uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze text and provide feedback and suggestions to improve clarity, concision, readability, and impact.Key features of Phraseology include:Conciseness checker - Identifies...

BlankPage.io

BlankPage.io is a free online text editor with a minimal and distraction-free interface. It provides a blank page for writing without any menus or buttons, living up to its name. The editor has several key features that make it useful:Basic text formatting options like bold, italics, text color...

CuteMarkEd

CuteMarkEd is a free, open-source Markdown editor available for Linux, Windows, and macOS. It provides a simple but powerful interface for writing and formatting Markdown documents.Some key features of CuteMarkEd include:Live preview - See your formatted Markdown rendered in real-time as you type.Custom CSS - Apply custom...

Quabel

Quabel is a feature-rich online whiteboard application designed for teams and organizations that need to collaborate visually in real-time. It provides an infinite virtual space for brainstorming sessions, design sprints, diagramming workflows, annotating ideas on whiteboards, and more.With Quabel, teams can work together simultaneously on a shared online whiteboard...

Marcdown

Marcdown is a lightweight, open-source Markdown editor developed specifically for macOS. It provides a simple, distraction-free writing environment focused on the essentials for Markdown authoring.Some key features of Marcdown include:Live preview - See rendered Markdown updated live as you typeSyntax highlighting - Visual aid for Markdown formattingWord export...

TextNut

TextNut is an advanced text analytics and data extraction software designed to help users analyze text documents and webpages to extract valuable insights. It utilizes the latest natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to deliver powerful capabilities.Some of the key features and benefits of TextNut include:Entity extraction...

Writed

Writed is a free, open-source word processor and text editor designed to be simple, fast, and flexible. Some key features of Writed include:Minimalist interface to avoid distractions while writingBasic text formatting options like bold, italics, headings, lists, etc.Saves documents as plain text files for wide compatibilityPortable app that...

Evermark

Evermark is a free web-based bookmark and archiving service designed to help users save, organize, and access content they find valuable on the internet. With Evermark, users can easily save links, articles, documents, notes, and more in one centralized and searchable online location accessible from any device.When saving content...

TypWrittr

typWrittr is a writing application designed for authors, bloggers, students, journalists, and anyone who wants a clean, minimalist writing space. It strips away all formatting and distractions, providing a blank writing canvas and basic typing features.Some key features of typWrittr include:Minimalist, clutter-free interface to allow writers to focusCustom...

Mytextfile

Mytextfile is lightweight text editing and note taking software for Windows. It provides a simple interface for quickly creating, editing, and managing text documents and notes on your computer.Some key features of Mytextfile include:Tabbed interface for working with multiple text files at onceBasic text formatting like bold, italics...

Writing Kit

Writing Kit is an AI-powered writing assistant software designed to help writers improve their skills. It analyzes text that users type or paste into the editor and provides feedback to strengthen writing in terms of grammar, spelling, vocabulary, tone, clarity and more.Key features of Writing Kit include:Grammar checker...

Matcha

Matcha is a lead generation and marketing automation software designed for businesses and agencies to automate their outbound marketing efforts. It includes capabilities for:Lead list building with targeted database searchesHighly customizable and personalized cold email and LinkedIn campaignsAutomated lead engagement sequences with email, LinkedIn, SMS and moreLanding page and...

MarkedPub

MarkedPub is an open-source web application designed specifically for writing and publishing Markdown documents. It provides a streamlined yet feature-rich interface for authoring Markdown, making it easy to create well-formatted documents.Some key features of MarkedPub include:Clean, distraction-free interface for writing MarkdownLive preview pane that updates in real-time as...

WriteDown

WriteDown is a minimalist text editor and Markdown processor for creating and editing high-quality content on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It offers WYSIWYG editing and an elegant text layout with a clutter-free interface to help manage distractions and keep you focused on the text you're writing.Key features include:Markdown...