Zettlr is a desktop writing environment built around Markdown. It brings together editing, document organisation, searching, reference management and publishing tools, making it particularly useful for academic writing and other substantial projects.
Unlike a conventional word processor, Zettlr concentrates on the underlying structure of a document rather than its final appearance on the page. Writers work primarily with plain-text files, while selected elements are rendered within the editor to make reading and navigation more comfortable.
The application also incorporates knowledge-management features inspired by the Zettelkasten method. Notes can be linked and retrieved using identifiers, tags and full-text search. When a manuscript is ready, Zettlr can produce formatted documents through publishing workflows based on Pandoc and LaTeX.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Edit Markdown documents with syntax highlighting, inline rendering and configurable typography.
- Organise writing projects using an integrated file manager and workspaces containing multiple files and folders.
- Search across documents with full-text search and filtering facilities.
- Link related notes using Zettelkasten identifiers and internal cross-references.
- Manage citations through integration with reference managers including Zotero and JabRef.
- Use document metadata, citations, footnotes and other Markdown extensions for academic writing.
- Create reusable text snippets to speed up repetitive writing tasks.
- Export documents through Pandoc-based workflows, with support for LaTeX and Word templates.
- Apply themes, dark modes and custom CSS to personalise the editing environment.
- Create Markdown admonitions for notes, tips, warnings and other highlighted information.
- Work with local files without requiring a proprietary document database or an online account.
- Cross-platform support for Linux, macOS and Windows.
Website: www.zettlr.com
Support:
Developer: Hendrik Erz and contributors
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
Zettlr is written in JavaScript. Learn JavaScript with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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