Nothing but text
No toolbar, no sidebar, no status bar. The title bar and controls appear only when the cursor reaches the top of the window.
iA Writer alternative
The free, open-source iA Writer alternative for Mac.
iA Writer made the case that a writing app should get out of the way. kayet takes the same idea, keeps your words in plain Markdown files, and costs nothing.
kayet vs iA Writer at a glance
| kayet | iA Writer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no paid tiers | Paid |
| Source code | Open source (Apache 2.0) | Closed source |
| Where your text lives | Plain files in any folder you pick | Plain text / Markdown files |
| Platforms | macOS on Apple Silicon | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Android |
| Focus mode | Zen mode: centered line, dimmed paragraphs | Focus mode for sentence or paragraph |
| Markdown preview | Live split pane with scroll sync | Preview pane and templates |
| Export | HTML and PDF | HTML, PDF, Word and more |
| Code files | Syntax highlighting by file extension | Aimed at prose |
What will feel familiar
Focus on the paragraph
Zen mode keeps the current line centered and dims everything except the paragraph you are writing.
Plain Markdown files
Documents are ordinary .md files on your disk. Open them with anything, sync them with anything.
Where kayet is different
Free and open sourceNo license to buy for each device. The source code is on GitHub under the Apache License 2.0.
Also a text editorCode and config files are highlighted by extension, so the same quiet window works for a README, a script or a TOML file.
Slides from MarkdownSplit a document with --- lines and present it full window, without leaving the editor.
Configured in a text fileEvery setting lives in ~/.kayet/config.toml. No preferences window.
When iA Writer is the better choice
kayet does less on purpose. Stay with iA Writer if:
- You write on iPhone, iPad, Windows or Android as well as on the Mac. kayet is a Mac app only.
- You rely on iA Writer's style check, syntax highlighting of parts of speech or authorship tracking.
- You need export to Word or publishing to a blog straight from the editor.
Questions
Is kayet a free alternative to iA Writer?
Yes. kayet is free and open source under the Apache License 2.0, with no paid tiers, no feature gating and no telemetry.
Can kayet open my iA Writer documents?
Yes. iA Writer keeps documents as plain text and Markdown files, and kayet edits those files directly. Point kayet's workspace at the folder that holds them.
Does kayet have a focus mode like iA Writer?
kayet has zen mode (⌘⇧J): the current line stays vertically centered and every paragraph except the one you are writing is dimmed.
Does kayet run on iPhone or Windows?
No. kayet is built for macOS on Apple Silicon only.
Start writing.
Free and open source. Requires macOS on Apple Silicon.
Download for Mac
Signed and notarized. Release notes & previous versions.
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iA Writer is a trademark of its respective owner. kayet is an independent project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the makers of iA Writer. The comparison reflects publicly available information as of October 2026 and may change.