Writer

Writer is a free and open-source desktop markdown editor built by joelbqz, designed for speed and privacy. All documents live on your local machine, cold starts take a fraction of a second, and the app is currently available as an alpha release for macOS. The project is licensed under GPL-3.0 and explicitly commits to remaining free and open source forever.

What It Is

Writer is a local-first markdown editor for developers and writers who want a fast, distraction-free workspace tool without cloud sync or subscriptions. It targets macOS users who manage markdown files directly on disk, respecting workspace .gitignore rules and supporting multiple simultaneous windows. The app is built with Tauri v2, React, Zustand, CodeMirror, and Rust — a stack chosen for native performance and minimal overhead.

Core Capabilities

• Extended markdown rendering: supports Mermaid diagrams, tables, and inline HTML beyond standard CommonMark
• YAML frontmatter: built-in metadata support for static site generators and note-taking workflows
• Multi-window support: snappy switching between multiple workspaces in separate windows
• Blazing fast cold starts: the Tauri/Rust foundation keeps launch time to a fraction of a second
• Private by design: no cloud, no accounts — all files stay on the local filesystem

Technical Architecture

The repository is structured as a monorepo with a Tauri desktop app (apps/desktop/), a React frontend, and Rust backend commands handling workspace state, file watching, auto-updating, and CLI integration. The project uses a custom vp CLI (wrapping Vite+) for development and validation workflows. macOS releases are signed and notarized via a local distribution script, with an updater publishing flow documented in docs/releasing.md.

Current Status: Alpha v0.4.0

The latest release is Writer v0.4.0, published on July 20, 2026, available as a signed macOS .dmg for Apple Silicon (aarch64). The project is in active alpha development, with the GitHub repository showing ongoing commits and 18 open issues as of August 2026. The homepage labels the current build "Alpha v0.4.0" and the project description notes it is free and open source forever. No Windows or Linux builds are listed in the current release.