Alternative enhancements to iA Writer for distraction-free writing

Facing a blank page where we can capture our ideas is not an easy task. But, if instead of using a blank sheet of paper, we opt for the digital format, things get even more complicated, since the number of distractions we encounter is very high, starting with the user interface. iA Writer has managed to carve out a significant gap among this type of user, however, as the years have gone by, new and interesting alternatives to iA Writer have arrived that have little or nothing to send.

iA Writer was born as an application for iOS devices (hence the lowercase i in its name). Over time, it has been reaching the rest of both desktop and mobile platforms. The Windows version is priced at $29.99 and, unlike the Android version, does not require any type of subscription. In terms of design, this is the same in all versions, so if we have used the versions available for other operating systems, we will see that there is no learning curve.

Alternative enhancements to iA Writer for distraction-free writing

That offers

Before looking for an alternative that is really capable of offering the same functions that this program offers, we must know what it offers us, since, today, it is still a reference in the field of writing.

iA Writer integrates a link system that allows users to link (pun intended) all the documents you create with this application so that, just by clicking on the link, you can access related documents. To give us an idea, the operation is practically the same as that offered by Wikipedia.

It includes a focus mode , a mode that is responsible for automatically highlighting the paragraph or sentence in which we are writing or reviewing in order to avoid looking at the rest of the document, thus reducing unnecessary distractions.

This application supports Markdown writing , which allows you to use a series of symbols to format the text without having to use key combinations as in Word or the application menu.

In addition, it includes a syntactic analysis of the texts, allowing the user to see at a glance, the verbs used and their strength, if they have been repeated many times, if the text has order and if it is perfectly understood. This function works equally well in both English and Spanish.

It also includes a feature that analyzes the text style, allowing the user to easily identify filler text, common clichés and redundancies very quickly and easily.

Like any text editing application, this software allows you to add photos including a photo caption, and allows you to export the texts in Word, HTML, Markdown and PDF. These are some of the main functions that the program offers us, functions that are regularly expanded.

Paid alternatives to iA Writer

Once we know all the functions that iA Writer integrates, the time has come to look for payment alternatives, if we don’t mind paying for an application of this type.

Typora

Typora is one of the best paid iA Writer alternatives available on the market. This application offers us the same functions that we can find, in addition to other functions such as the possibility of creating tables, mathematical formulas, importing content from other applications, themes to customize the color of the application, create diagrams and much more.

Typora

Typora is available for Windows in 32-bit and 64-bit versions, for Linux, Windows ARM, and macOS. The app price for all available versions is $14.99. You can download the application and try it from its website before buying the license to use it.

The best

  • Available in Spanish
  • Features not available in iA Writer

Worst

  • Which is not free.

ommwriter

If the number of options that iA Writer and its alternatives offer is very high and you are looking for a simple application , with few pretensions and functions, we find an ideal application for these needs in Ommwriter, an application that reduces distractions to a minimum.

Ommwriter

One of the peculiarities of this application is that it invites us to listen to relaxing sounds while we write, so it is necessary to use headphones if we want to enjoy this curious function that many users will love. Ommwriter is available for both Windows and macOS at a price of 7.20 euros through its website .

We like

  • Includes a series of relaxing sounds

We do not like

  • It is not available in Spanish
  • We cannot download a trial version to test it.

inspire

The design offered by the Inspire application is very similar to that found in the iA program, including the file structure, the documents and the edit/preview view. In terms of functions, it offers practically the same ones that we can find in it, including support for Markdown and translation into Spanish.

Inspire

Inspire has a regular price in the Windows Store of 49.99 euros . However, through its website, we can access a trial version , with which we can test all the functions of the application for 14 days.

Advantage

  • Optimized, functional and minimalist design.
  • Support for Dropbox and OneDrive.

drawbacks

  • Still on sale, the app is very expensive

Free options to iA Writer

But, we are not only going to find paid applications that perfectly supplement the functions available in the main program. We also have at our disposal a large number of completely free applications.

QOwnNotes

QOwnNotes is presented as an interesting alternative for users looking for an application that allows writing using Markdown . It includes a dark mode, support for custom themes, a full screen mode to avoid distractions, create lists and much more. Although the interface is not the most beautiful of all, we consider it an interesting alternative if you are looking for an application that is compatible with Markdown.

QOwnNotes

QOwnNotes is available for Windows (including support for Windows XP), macOS, and Linux. It is translated into Spanish , so the language will not be a barrier to quickly get hold of this application, an application that we can download for free from its GitHub page where this project is hosted.

We like

  • Translated into Spanish
  • Open Source

We do not like

  • Somewhat complex interface

writemonkey

WriteMonkey is an interesting option to take into account if we are looking for an application that is compatible with Markdown . Although the user interface leaves a lot to be desired, it does allow us to use the application in full screen to avoid distractions. Within the configuration options, Writemonkey offers us a large number of functions that meet most needs.

WriteMonkey

Writemonkey is available for download through its website, a website that has not yet implemented https, so the browser we use will alert us that it is a non-secure website, although it does not affect the download of the application .

Advantage

  • Available in Spanish by downloading the language pack
  • It offers support for a large number of plugins.

Disadvantages

  • If we want the application in Spanish, we must download the language pack.
  • Unfriendly interface.

memo pad

Windows natively includes the Notepad application, an application whose interface is only made up of a line of menus, so the number of distractions is reduced to practically nothing. If you don’t want to spend money on such an app, Notepad is a great option to consider, as long as you don’t have the need to format text.

If so, you can use Markdown scripting , using hash marks, brackets, asterisks, and symbols, to later convert the text to an easily recognizable format using one of several web pages with this feature.

The best

  • Included in Windows

Worst

  • Does not allow text formatting

What are the best free and paid alternatives?

The best payment alternative is the one offered by Typora . Typora not only offers us the same functions that are also available in iA Writer, but it also allows us to create formulas and tables, functions that are not available at the moment and it seems that they will not arrive in the near future. In addition, the price is 14.99 euros, which is just half of what iA Writer for Windows costs.

Of the three free alternatives that we have mentioned in this article, your best of all is Writemonkey , an application with a large number of functions, including support for Markdow, support for a large number of plugins and with an interface without any distractions. Type.