FocusWriter is a distraction-free text editor for Microsoft Windows and Linux. An old version (1.7.6) still can be used on MacOS.
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This Microsoft Windows software-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.
What is FocusWriter?
FocusWriter by Graeme Gott is open-source Windows software in the office suites category. It ranks 14th by popularity among office suites in this catalogue. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Unix-like operating system, macOS, Linux and Mac operating system.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. The main installer is 55.2 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.9.1, released on July 23, 2026. The version history goes back to August 1, 2021: 10 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 2,789 times. The source code on GitHub (gottcode/focuswriter) has 721 stars. On Windows it registers 5 file types, including .txt, .docx, .rtf, .odt and .fodt. Similar programs include TeXstudio, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors and Zettlr.
Project description on GitHub: “Simple fullscreen word processor.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on Unix-like operating system, macOS and Linux
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: FocusWriter is an open-source office suite tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is FocusWriter safe to download?
- The file is served by gottcode.org, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
8092A989D92805A012279387BF70918AFB210589B2F7F4F9401B0477BFF95D53· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the gottcode/focuswriter repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Actively maintained7
- Code review0
- Static code analysis0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 10 versions ›10 versions over 5 years · about 2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9.1Latest | July 23, 2026 | 55.2 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.9.0 | February 10, 2026 | 54.8 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.8.13 | August 18, 2025 | 54.3 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.8.12 | May 14, 2025 | 54.2 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.8.11 | March 7, 2025 | 53.4 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.8.10 | February 14, 2025 | 53.5 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.8.9 | October 11, 2024 | 49.7 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.8.4 | January 10, 2023 | 41.1 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id GottCode.FocusWriter -echoco install focuswriter -yFocusWriter_1.9.1.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub org.gottcode.FocusWriterInformation
- Publisher
- Graeme Gott
- Category
- Office suites
- Licence
- GPL-3.0-or-later
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/gottcode/focuswriter
- Written in
- C++
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Unix-like operating system, macOS, Linux, Mac operating system
- Version
- 1.9.1
- Released
- July 23, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- August 1, 2021
- Versions listed
- 10
- Updates / year
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 2,789
- GitHub stars
- 721
- GitHub forks
- 126
- Website
- gottcode.org
- winget ID
- GottCode.FocusWriter
- Chocolatey package
- focuswriter
File types it opens (5)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to FocusWriter
See all ›-
TeXstudio4.9.8TeXstudio is a fully featured LaTeX editor. Our goal is to make writing LaTeX documents as easy and comfortable as possible.Open source157.4K ↓ -
ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors10.0.0All the tools you need to work with text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and fillable forms on Windows, Linux, and macOS.Open source290.5K ↓ -
Open source37K ↓ -
JabRef5.15.60000A free reference manager that helps you to discover, collect, organize and cite your scholarly literature and research in an efficient way.Open source34.4K ↓ -
PDF Arranger1.14.0Small python-gtk application, which helps the user to merge or split pdf documents and rotate, crop and rearrange their pages using an interactive and intuitive graphical interface.Open source25.3K ↓ -
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Open source36.6K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is FocusWriter free?
Yes. FocusWriter is open-source software under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence.
Is FocusWriter safe to download?
The download comes from gottcode.org, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install FocusWriter with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can FocusWriter be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does FocusWriter run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of FocusWriter?
The versions page lists all 10 versions with links to their official installer files, back to August 1, 2021.
What are alternatives to FocusWriter?
TeXstudio, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors, Zettlr, JabRef and PDF Arranger. The alternatives page compares them.
