Plain Text Editor
Simple distraction-free notepad
Simple text editor without any rich text nonsense. The simplicity is a feature.
$5, one-time purchase · Available on macOS, iOS, visionOS
Recent Reviews
Why would you buy a PC anymore? 🤨
Okay, maybe not because it has a native plain text editor 😜 And especially not now that I found this delicious app. I don’t need it often, but, when I do, it sure is handy. Thanks! 👏
I use this every day
This is my go to app for writing, “un-formatting” text, and day to day temporary notes. Completely trouble free.
It does nothing, which is perfect.
It is crazy how hard it is to find an app for iOS that will take my text and not apply formatting to it. Plain text editor saves the day, by doing nothing. Not mangling my text, not applying formatting, not replacing my 2 dashes with an emdash, not carrying over a font or font size that I didn’t want. Perfect simplicity.
straight-up perfection
literally nothing more I could ask for… beautifully plain, fully-featured, reliable.
It won’t handle your 1 million line log file, but it is a nice way to write down some ideas.
It’s a Universal Purchase.
It only handles UTF-8 text files (meaning no UTF-16).
Frequently Asked Questions
I have a feature request, bug report, or some feedback
Click the feedback button in the app or send it here.
How is the macOS version better than TextEdit?
- Editor padding
- Optimal line spacing and length
- Word count
- Hide the title bar
- Translucent background
- Window can stay on top
- Force dark/light mode
- Brain dump mode
Spellchecking does not work
This is a macOS bug. You can see the same problem in the built-in TextEdit app too.
Can you add Markdown syntax highlighting?
I don’t plan to add that as I want to keep the app simple. I do plan to make a proper Markdown editor at some point, but that’s not this app.
The text sometimes jumps when I write fast
This is a macOS bug. There is unfortunately nothing I can do about it.
Does the app support window tabs on macOS?
Yes. Click “View › Show Tab Bar” in the menu bar and then click the plus button in the window.
You can also press CommandN if you have tabs enabled for document apps.
How can I make the app preserve open documents when I quit on macOS?
This is already how it works. Actually, it’s how all document-based apps on macOS work. Make sure you don’t have “System Settings › Desktop & Dock › Close windows when quitting an application” enabled.
How can I make the app not open previously opened documents when I launch the app?
Disable the setting mentioned above.
I have enabled the translucent setting on the macOS app, why is the title bar not translucent?
Making the title bar translucent is not supported by macOS. I’m hoping to find a workaround in the future.
How does “brain dump mode” help with creativity?
It helps you focus on the actual writing, instead of getting distracted with editing and nitpicking. Learn more.
When I save a file using the popover in the title bar on macOS, it always appends .txt when I choose a different file extension
.txt when I choose a different file extensionThis is a macOS bug. Instead, save the file from the “File” menu or by pressing CommandS.
How can I toggle “Stay on Top” with a keyboard shortcut on macOS?
The keyboard shortcut is listed in the “Window” menu in the menu bar.
Can you add a text color setting?
I don’t plan to add that. It’s not essential and I’m trying to keep the app simple.
The text flickers a little bit when it wraps on a new line
This is unfortunately a macOS bug and out of my control.
The window size and position is not preserved
For document-based apps, which this app is, window size and position are stored per document. macOS is in charge of persisting window size and position for apps, so this is not something the app controls.
Why is there no way to print?
The app is made using Apple’s latest technologies (SwiftUI) and they have not added print support there yet. If you need to print, open the document in TextEdit instead. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Why is it suddenly showing a scrollbar?
You either have a system setting set to always show scrollbars or you have an external mouse connected. This is simply how macOS works. You can see the behavior in other text editing apps too. See the “Appearance › Show scroll bars” system setting.
Older Versions
These are free for everyone but they will not run on newer macOS versions.
Get Plain Text Editor
Simple distraction-free notepad
$5, one-time purchase