Free picks · Linux
Best free writing apps for Linux (2026)
Every pick is listed under Writing in our directory, runs on Linux and is completely free or has a free plan. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for writing and apps built for Linux.
Short answer
The best free writing apps for Linux are LibreOffice, Handy and Hugo, the top three of 32 matches in our directory. All 10 are completely free; 10 are open source.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 32
- 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 | FocusWriter | Free | Windows, Linux | Open source | A distraction-free word processor with a hide-away interface and daily goals. |
| 8 | Subtitle Edit | Free | Windows, Linux, Offline | Open source | A free desktop editor for creating, syncing and fixing video subtitles. |
| 9 | micro | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | A friendly text editor for the terminal that works the way you expect. |
| 10 | MarkText | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux, Offline | Open source | A free, open-source Markdown editor that renders formatting as you type. |
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 Linux pick, rated 4.5/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on Windows and macOS. 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 our Mac list it is number 1.
Watch out for: Complex Word and PowerPoint files may not look identical
Number 2 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.7/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on Windows and macOS. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (3 of 10 here) and has AI features (2 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 2.
Watch out for: Larger models need a capable CPU or GPU
Number 3 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.7/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on macOS and Windows. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 3.
Watch out for: Command-line tool with a learning curve
Number 4 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.8/5, the highest here. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on macOS, Windows and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 4.
Watch out for: Command line only
Number 5 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.7/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on macOS and Windows. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 5.
Watch out for: Takes time to learn the shortcuts
Number 6 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.5/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on Windows and macOS. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (6 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 6.
Watch out for: Fewer extras than Microsoft Office
Number 7 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.5/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on Windows. 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). It is not in the Mac top 10 (not listed for Mac).
Watch out for: No official macOS version
Number 8 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.7/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on Windows and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and has AI features (2 of 10 here). It is not in the Mac top 10 (not listed for Mac).
Watch out for: Windows first, Linux needs Mono
Number 9 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.6/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on macOS and Windows. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (6 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 10.
Watch out for: Not as feature-rich as large editors
Number 10 of 10 for Linux, rated 4.5/5. A desktop app that runs on Linux, and also on Windows, macOS and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (6 of 10 here). It is not in the Mac top 10 (11th for Mac).
Watch out for: No built-in sync or mobile app
Running these on Linux
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Linux picks are 10 desktop apps (LibreOffice, Handy, Hugo, Pandoc and 6 others).
- All 10 are apps you install on Linux.
- Every Linux pick here also runs somewhere else. MarkText reaches furthest, on 3 other platforms besides Linux.
- None of these Linux picks is listed on Android.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms. Only the differences are named.
- Free writing apps for Mac
7 of these 10 Linux picks also make the Mac top 10. 3 are on this list only: FocusWriter (not listed for Mac), Subtitle Edit (not listed for Mac) and MarkText (11th for Mac). In their place the Mac list has DeepL, LanguageTool and MarkEdit; none of them is listed for Linux.
- Free writing apps for Android
None of these 10 Linux picks makes the Android top 10.
- Free writing apps for iPhone
None of these 10 Linux picks makes the iPhone top 10.
- Free online writing tools
None of these 10 Linux picks makes the Web top 10.
More matches
22 more free writing apps for Linux in our directory; the next 20 by our ranking are below.
- Quarto · Free
- VSCodium · Free
- WPS Office · Free plan
- Zettlr · Free
- Marp CLI · Free
- Typst · Free plan
- mdBook · Free
- OpenWhispr · Free
- Scribus · Free
- Vale · Free
- Zola · Free
- Jan · Free
- Manuskript · Free
- bibisco · Free plan
- ghostwriter · Free
- Claude · Free plan
- Zoho Writer · Free plan
- novelWriter · Free
- JabRef · Free
- Calmly Writer · Free plan
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free writing app for Linux?
- 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.
- Which of these writing apps are open source?
- LibreOffice, Handy, Hugo, Pandoc, MuseScore Studio, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors, FocusWriter, Subtitle Edit, micro and MarkText are tagged open source in our directory, so you can read the code of each and, depending on the licence, self-host or modify it.
- Which ones work offline on Linux?
- 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 writing apps for Linux are in the directory?
- 32 match: listed under Writing, available on Linux and free to start. 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
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