Scrib Desktop is a tabbed text editor for Windows that encrypts files with AES-256. It handles plain text, rich text and its own encrypted .scrb format, and it runs fully offline: no network code, no telemetry and no account.
Encryption is per file and opt in. Press Ctrl+E on any note to set a password and save it as a .scrb, encrypted with AES-256-CBC and an HMAC-SHA256 integrity check in an encrypt-then-MAC scheme, with the key derived by PBKDF2-SHA256. Tampered files are rejected before decryption. Ctrl+L locks an open encrypted note in place, clearing its decrypted content and password from the editor until the password is re-entered, and an optional idle auto-lock does the same unattended.
Other features include multi-tab editing with per-tab colors and session restore, rich text with images and tables stored inside the note, RTF import and export, find and replace across all open tabs, a command palette and atomic saves so an interrupted write cannot truncate a file.
Scrib Desktop is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license.
Scrib is also on iPhone and Android: https://scrib.blog
Publisher’s description
What is Scrib Desktop?
Scrib Desktop is an open-source text editor program for Windows from Beeswax Pat.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as Portable. It runs without installation (portable). It needs Windows 10 or newer.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.11.0, released on October 18, 2026. 2 versions are listed since October 17, 2026, each with links to its own installer files. The last update is less than a month old.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Updated in the last two months
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Scrib Desktop is an open-source text editor tool for 64-bit PCs.
Is Scrib Desktop safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
339673414CE043AFFD5CBC71B49CE275C920077946F8B3BB3D8A6BC0A17AA3D4· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- 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
Recent versions
All 2 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.11.0Latest | October 18, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.10.2 | October 17, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id BeeswaxPat.ScribDesktop -eRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Beeswax Pat
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 1.11.0
- Released
- October 18, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- October 24, 2026
- Versions listed
- 2
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- BeeswaxPat.ScribDesktop
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Scrib Desktop free?
Yes. Scrib Desktop is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is Scrib Desktop safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, 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 Scrib Desktop 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.
Which Windows versions does Scrib Desktop support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for 64-bit.
Does Scrib Desktop 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 Scrib Desktop?
The versions page lists all 2 versions with links to their official installer files, back to October 17, 2026.
Can I use Scrib Desktop without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to Scrib Desktop?
Notepad++, Atom, Neovim, Geany and WordPress.com. The alternatives page compares them.
