Free picks · Mac · Open source
Best free open-source writing apps for Mac (2026)
Every pick is listed under Writing in our directory, runs on a Mac and is free to use and tagged open source. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for writing and apps built for Mac.
Short answer
The best free open-source writing apps for Mac are LibreOffice, Handy and Hugo, the top three of 26 matches in our directory. All 10 are tagged open source in our directory. All 10 are completely free.
Updated
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At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 26
- Completely free
- 10
- Open source
- 10
- Work offline
- 10
- Native apps
- 10
Comparison table
“Free plan” means a free tier with paid upgrades. A dash in Licence means our directory does not list the tool as open source.
| # | Name | Pricing | Platforms | Licence | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LibreOffice | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source | A free, open-source office suite for your desktop: Writer, Calc, Impress and more. |
| 2 | Handy | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source | Offline speech-to-text that types what you say into any app. |
| 3 | Hugo | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | Build a website from plain files with one of the fastest static site tools. |
| 4 | Pandoc | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, Offline | Open source | A universal document converter for Markdown, Word, PDF, HTML and more. |
| 5 | MuseScore Studio | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | Free music notation software for writing and printing scores. |
| 6 | ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source | Free desktop editors for documents, sheets, slides and PDFs with native Office formats. |
| 7 | MarkEdit | Free | macOS, Offline | Open source | A tiny, native Markdown editor for Mac that feels like TextEdit. |
| 8 | micro | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | A friendly text editor for the terminal that works the way you expect. |
| 9 | MarkText | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux, Offline | Open source | A free, open-source Markdown editor that renders formatting as you type. |
| 10 | Quarto | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | Write in Markdown and publish reports, websites, books and slides with live code. |
Why each pick made the list
Every reason is taken from the tool's own listing: its categories, platforms, features, rating and pricing.
Our top Mac pick, rated 4.5/5. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (3 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (6 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list, open source or not, it is number 1.
Watch out for: Complex Word and PowerPoint files may not look identical
Number 2 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.7/5. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (3 of 10 here) and has AI features (the only one here). On the wider free Mac list, open source or not, it is number 2.
Watch out for: Larger models need a capable CPU or GPU
Number 3 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.7/5. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list, open source or not, it is number 3.
Watch out for: Command-line tool with a learning curve
Number 4 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.8/5, the highest here. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list, open source or not, it is number 4.
Watch out for: Command line only
Number 5 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.7/5. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list, open source or not, it is number 5.
Watch out for: Takes time to learn the shortcuts
Number 6 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (6 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list, open source or not, it is number 6.
Watch out for: Fewer extras than Microsoft Office
Number 7 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. A Mac app that runs on a Mac, and also on Offline. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (3 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (6 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list, open source or not, it is number 9.
Watch out for: Mac only
Number 8 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (6 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list, open source or not, it is number 10.
Watch out for: Not as feature-rich as large editors
Number 9 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (6 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list it ranks 11th, outside the top 10.
Watch out for: No built-in sync or mobile app
Number 10 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On the wider free Mac list it ranks 12th, outside the top 10.
Watch out for: Takes some learning if you are new to Markdown
Running these on Mac
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Mac picks are 9 desktop apps (LibreOffice, Handy, Hugo, Pandoc and 5 others) and 1 Mac app (MarkEdit).
- All 10 are apps you install on a Mac, and MarkEdit is made specifically for Mac.
- Every Mac pick here also runs somewhere else. MarkText reaches furthest, on 3 other platforms besides Mac.
- None of these Mac picks is listed on iPhone and iPad.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms, and the other price filter. Only the differences are named.
- Free writing apps for Mac
Fine with closed source? The wider free Mac list ranks 44 tools that run on a Mac, open source or not, led by LibreOffice, Handy and Hugo.
More matches
16 more free open-source writing apps for Mac in our directory, in ranked order.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free open-source writing app for Mac?
- LibreOffice is our first pick. A free, open-source office suite for your desktop: Writer, Calc, Impress and more. Yes. LibreOffice is free to use.
- Are these writing apps really free?
- Yes. All 10 picks on this page are completely free, with no paid plan listed.
- Do these open-source writing apps work on other platforms too?
- All 10 picks also run elsewhere, including LibreOffice (Windows and Linux), Handy (Windows and Linux) and Hugo (Windows and Linux).
- Which ones work offline on a Mac?
- LibreOffice, Handy, Hugo, Pandoc, MuseScore Studio and 5 others are listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- Which are easiest for beginners?
- LibreOffice, Handy and ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors are rated beginner-friendly, along with 3 other picks. 4 picks take more time to learn.
- How many free open-source writing apps for Mac are in the directory?
- 26 match: listed under Writing, available on a Mac and free to start, and tagged open source. This page ranks the top 10 and names up to 20 more under More matches. The Writing category page has every listing, paid ones included.
Keep exploring
Wider lists
Related free lists
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