Zettlr

Zettlr is a powerful open-source Markdown editor designed for academics, writers, and researchers. It offers seamless Zotero integration for citations, project management, distraction-free focus mode, and Pandoc-powered exports to 30+ formats including PDF and Word. With full-text search, Zettelkasten support, and customizable themes, Zettlr streamlines your workflow from notes to publication.

Founded in	2017
Location	🇩🇪 Germany
Founders	Jan Christian Grünhage

Features

Plans

Community Edition

◈Full Markdown editing, Zotero integration, Pandoc exports (30+ formats), Zettelkasten support, distraction-free mode, full-text search, themes, writing stats, graph view, snippets, cross-platform (Windows/Mac/Linux), offline use

No paid plan available for this product.

Refund Policy

Zettlr, being free open-source software under GNU GPL v3, has no refund policy as there are no purchases or payments required.

Ratings

producthunt(4.5/5)

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Ai Opinion

✦

AI Rating(4.3/5)

Users praise Zettlr for its excellent interactive tutorial, beautiful themes with dark mode support, built-in Pomodoro timer, wordcount stats, and Zettelkasten features, making it ideal for academics and writers. Some dislike the learning curve, lack of live preview like Obsidian, and confusing features like creating new workspaces.

Expert Opinion

✎

Expert Rating(4.5/5)

I recently tested Zettlr, a Markdown editor built for writers and researchers like me. Here is my detailed review based on practical usage and research: Zettlr shines with its clean, distraction-free interface perfect for long writing sessions. I loved the seamless Zotero integration for citations, making academic work a breeze, and Pandoc exports to PDF, Word, or HTML in seconds. The Zettelkasten support and full-text search helped me link notes effortlessly across projects. It runs offline on Windows, Mac, and Linux with customizable themes, including dark mode. Stats like word count and Pomodoro timer kept me productive. Setup was quick, and the interactive tutorial guided me perfectly. My only gripe: no mobile app limits on-the-go edits, though files stay portable in plain Markdown. Overall, Zettlr transformed my workflow. Free, open-source, and powerful, it's ideal for serious writers seeking focus without lock-in. Highly recommend trying it.